Recipe: Spice Roasted Duck Maryland

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 15 minutes + 15 minutes resting time
SERVES 6

Many people shy away from cooking duck thinking it’s too hard. I promise you this recipe is so easy and the result is a restaurant quality dish.

Ingredients:

• 6 x Duck Maryland
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Bunch of rosemary sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves, halved
• Half a bottle of red wine
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly or quince paste

Method:

1. Remove duck legs from packaging and pat dry with paper towel (less moisture equals crispier skin)
2. Heat oven to 200 degrees (fan forced).
3. Mix together the cinnamon, fennel, cloves, and salt and pepper.
4. Place the duck legs in the roasting pan and scatter around the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves.
5. Sprinkle each leg with the spice mix and place in to oven for 1 hour.
6. Bring the wine and jelly to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the jelly, then continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
7. At the end of the one hour cooking time, remove from the oven and pour off almost all the fat (save it for roast potatoes).
8. Pour the wine mixture around the duck legs and return to the oven for 15 minutes to finish cooking and reduce the sauce.
9. Remove the duck legs from the pan, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
10. Optional – place the roasting pan on the stove top on a low heat and continue to reduce the sauce. Pour in to a warmed jug and serve alongside the duck (don’t pour over the top as your crispy skin will go soggy!) .
11. Serve with baked potatoes and greens.

TIPS:

• This is a great meal to serve at a dinner party as the dish can be almost completely cooked beforehand. Complete step 7 (refrigerate if necessary, and if so, remove from fridge in advance to bring to room temperature) and then half hour before you wish to eat, place the duck in a pre-heated (190 degree) oven, pour the sauce around the duck legs, roast for 15 minutes and
• IF you have any leftovers, shred the meat and enjoy in a wrap with cucumber, lettuce and the reduced sauce