DUCK FAT ROAST POTATOES RECIPES

1. Pick the leaves off one rosemary sprig. Grate half the nutmeg and zest both oranges. Cut the oranges in half and set aside for stuffing the duck.
2. Put everything on a board with one tablespoon of sea salt and chop it all up. Rub the mixture all over the ducks, inside and out. Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to let the flavours penetrate.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and arrange the shelves on the middle and bottom levels. Stuff the ducks with the remaining rosemary sprigs, garlic cloves and reserved orange halves.
4. Peel and quarter the onions, then trim and roughly chop the celery and carrots. Peel and chop the ginger. Scatter the veg and ginger in the bottom of a large, deep-sided roasting tray with the cinnamon and bay leaves. Roughly chop the reserved duck neck and giblets and add to the mix.
5. Place the ducks breast-side up, straight on to the bars of the middle shelf, then pop the veg-filled roasting tray on the bottom shelf beneath the ducks ready to catch all the lovely fat that drips out of them.
6. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Pop them in a pan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a simmer and parboil for 5 to 10 minutes, then tip into a colander and chuff them up a little.
7. After the duck has roasted for an hour, take the bottom tray out of the oven, replacing it immediately with an empty tray. Spoon the fat from the veggie tray into a bowl. Put all the veg, duck bits and juices into a large saucepan, then add a little boiling water to the tray to get all the sticky brown bits off the bottom – this is what you’re going to make your gravy with. Tip the water and brown bits into the pan with the veg, top up with 1 litre of water or chicken stock and place on a medium heat, skimming off any of the fat that rises to the top.
8. Put your parboiled potatoes into the empty tray in the oven. Add a few more tablespoons of duck fat from the bowl, season, and place back underneath the ducks to cook for an hour.
9. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of duck fat. When it’s hot and melted, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a paste. Stir in the contents of the saucepan and the Port. Bring the gravy to the boil and simmer gently for half an hour, stirring occasionally. By now the ducks will have had 2 hours in the oven and will be done. Lift them on to a plate, cover loosely with tin foil and leave to rest for about 15 minutes.
10. Pour the gravy through a sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing down on all the veg and other bits to extract as many flavours and juices as you can. Keep the gravy warm in the saucepan, again skimming off any fat on the surface.
11. When you're ready to dish up – don’t carve the ducks! The best thing to do is to pull the meat away from the bones with a pair of tongs or with your fingers wearing clean kitchen gloves, then let everyone fight over the delicious skin. Serve with your potatoes and gravy.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6. Toss the potatoes in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil, 1 sprig of rosemary and the lemon zest. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining rosemary and oil together with the cumin and garlic to make a marinade.

Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add the duck, skin side down. Reduce the heat and fry for 6-8 minutes until crisp. Turn and cook for 5 minutes. Brush with the marinade, then remove and transfer to the tray in the oven. Roast with the potatoes for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the wine into the pan used to cook the duck and mix in the jelly. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cook the beans in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain. 

Slice the duck and serve drizzled with the red wine sauce and the veg on the side.

Cut the potatoes into large, even-sized pieces and put in a large pan of cold salted water. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain and return to the pan. Cover with a clean tea towel and the lid. Leave to steam dry for 5 minutes. Remove the tea towel and replace the lid. Shake the pan to roughen the edges of the potatoes, then tip on to a large baking tray, spread them out and leave to cool completely.

To freeze: open freeze the potatoes on the baking tray, loosely covered with clingfilm, until solid. When frozen, tip the cold potatoes into large freezer bags and return to the freezer.

To roast: there's no need to defrost the potatoes first. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Heat the olive oil or duck fat in a large roasting tin in the oven for 5 minutes. Carefully add the frozen parboiled potatoes and turn them to coat well in the hot oil. Cook for 40-50 minutes, turning in the oil once, until golden brown and beautifully crisp. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with crushed sea salt flakes and a little chopped rosemary, if you like, to serve.

Get ahead: freeze up to a month ahead. Parboiling potatoes before freezing them is not only a great way to get ahead, it also makes the potatoes extra crunchy when cooked. Roast from frozen while your cooked Christmas turkey is resting.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6. Toss the potatoes in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil, 1 sprig of rosemary and the lemon zest. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining rosemary and oil together with the cumin and garlic to make a marinade.

Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add the duck, skin side down. Reduce the heat and fry for 6-8 minutes until crisp. Turn and cook for 5 minutes. Brush with the marinade, then remove and transfer to the tray in the oven. Roast with the potatoes for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the wine into the pan used to cook the duck and mix in the jelly. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cook the beans in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain. 

Slice the duck and serve drizzled with the red wine sauce and the veg on the side.