ROAST DUCK RECIPE CHINESE RECIPES

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
2. Remove any excess fat from inside the cavity of the duck, then using a sharp knife carefully score the breast and legs all over in crisscross fashion, roughly 1cm apart.
3. Season the duck with sea salt, black pepper and the five-spice, then rub all over so the flavour catches in all the nooks and crannies.
4. Halve the clementine and place into the cavity along with the bay leaves. Transfer the duck to a medium roasting tray and roast for around 1 hour 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, halve the bulb of garlic across the middle, then peel and roughly slice the carrots and onions.
6. When the time is up, remove the roasting tray from the oven. Carefully lift up the duck and scatter the veg into the tray to make a trivet. Sit the duck on top of the veg, then return the tray to the oven for a further 40 minutes, or until the duck is beautifully crisp and the meat falls easily away from the bone.
7. Once cooked to perfections, remove the duck to a plate to rest while you get on with the gravy.
8. Add the flour to the vegetables, then mash everything together with a potato masher, scraping up all the sticky goodness from the bottom.
9. Place over a medium-high heat, pour in the Marsala and leave to bubble and cook away, stirring well.
10. Add the stock, then bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for around 15 minutes, or until thickened and reduced. Strain through a coarse sieve, skim away any fat from the surface, then season to taste.
11. Shred or carve up the duck, then serve with the gravy on the side. Nice with duck fat roast potatoes, seasonal greens and cranberry sauce.

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.

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.

2. Sit the duck, breast side up, on a trivet in a roasting tin and dry the skin with kitchen paper – the drier it is the crisper the cooked skin will be. Rub the skin with oil and season with salt.

3. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3 and slow-roast for 2½ hours, basting from time to time. The wings of the duck should be tender, and the legs should come away easily from the body of the bird.

4. Drain the fat from the bottom of the tin, reserving 1 tablespoon for cooking the sauce (see also tip). Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 and return the tin to the oven for 20–30 minutes or until the skin of the duck is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the reserved duck fat in a medium saucepan and fry the shallots over a medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden but not burnt. Pour in the port, wine and stock, then raise the heat and allow to bubble for 5–10 minutes until reduced by a third.

6. Add the jelly and vinegar, then strain the sauce and discard the shallots. Mix the cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until smooth. Add a little of the hot sauce to the bowl and then add the mixture to the rest of the sauce in the pan. Add the cherries and carefully bring to the boil, stirring. Season with salt and pepper and boil until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

7. Carve the duck – it will be very tender and cooked through, not pink like a duck breast – and serve with the cherry sauce.

Cook time: 3½ hours, plus resting.

Prepare ahead: The sauce can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. The duck can be roasted 8 hours ahead if serving cold.

Mary’s Classic Tips:

* If your duck comes with the giblets, save them to make a flavoursome stock with the duck bones. It freezes well and can be used in place of the chicken stock used here. 

* Keep the duck fat – it’s great for flavoursome roast potatoes.