Spiced Slow Roast Duck Apple Sauce Recipes

SPICED SLOW-ROAST DUCK & APPLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Remove any giblets and pull the excess fat from the duck's cavity. Use a roasting fork or skewer to prick the skin of the duck all over - do this lightly as you don't want to pierce the meat.
• Season generously inside, rub the skin with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, cinnamon, star anise and garlic. Sit the duck in a roomy roasting tin (you will be adding potatoes to the tin later). Roast the duck for 2 hrs, pricking again every now and then. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10 mins until just cooked.
• Remove the duck from the oven and increase the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the duck on a board and pour off half the fat from the tin. Toss the potatoes in the tin so they are completely coated in the juices, then push them to the side of the tin. Sit the duck back in and give it a final 20-30 mins in the oven to crisp up.
• Meanwhile, make the apple sauce. Peel and finely slice the apples, discarding the core. Melt the butter in a pan until sizzling, add the apples and spices, then stir to coat.
• Pour in 100ml apple juice, cover and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add a splash more juice if the apples are becoming a bit dry. Cook until the apples have collapsed into a fluffy sauce.
• Remove the duck from the oven to a board to rest, then place the potatoes back into the oven for 20 mins to crisp up. When the duck has rested and the potatoes are brown, you are ready to carve and plate up.

ROAST SPICED DUCK WITH PLUMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Toast the star anise and coriander seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Tip the toasted spices into a spice grinder with 2 tsp sea salt and grind into a fine powder (or crush using a pestle and mortar). Put the spice salt in a bowl, add the sugar, mix well and set aside.
• Lightly score the skin of the duck in a criss-cross pattern and heat the oil in a large casserole. Using a pair of tongs to turn it, brown the duck well on all sides, pour off the excess fat, then sit the duck breast-side up and season all over with the sugar and spice mix. Pack the plums around the outside, then scatter over the bay and pour over the vinegar and stock.
• Roast in the oven for 2 hrs or until the duck is golden and the plums have broken down. Turn the oven right up for 10 more mins to crisp up the skin. Take the duck out of the pan to rest for 10 mins and spoon the excess fat off the plums. Carve the duck and serve with a good spoonful of plums.

SLOW ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Season the ducks generously, putting some salt in the cavity as well. Make sure you save the fat and the giblets for the gravy.
• Coarsely grate half the ginger and rhubarb. Mix this in a bowl with half the sage and all the garlic and onion, and stuff the mixture inside the cavity of the ducks, ensuring there is an air cavity.
• Place the ducks on a tray on top of the chopped up giblets and roast in the oven for one hour. Turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and cook for another 1 1/2 hours until crisp and tender. The ducks are ready when the skin is crisp and the leg bones can be easily removed.
• During this time you will need to drain the fat maybe 3 times into a bowl, this will separate into a clear fat which you can keep for roasting.
• Once cooked allow the ducks to rest on a warmed plate while you make the sauce. Drain off any remaining fat from the roasting tray.
• Pull out all the stuffing and any juices from the inside of the duck and put in the roasting tray and warm this on a low heat.
• Add the Marsala and loosen all the sticky goodness from the bottom of the tray, and reduce. Add the stock and reduce to a good taste and consistency.
• Pass the sauce trough a coarse sieve.
• Remove the breasts from the ducks with a knife and, using your hands, remove the thighs. Arrange the breasts and thighs on a large serving plate.
• Finely slice the remaining ginger and fry off in a little hot oil (or you can use the duck fat) in a non-stick pan. As the ginger begins to color, add the rest of the rhubarb, finely sliced, and the rest of the sage. Fry until crisp. Sprinkle this over the duck and drizzle with the sauce.

SPICED APPLESAUCE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; discard the cinnamon stick. Mash the apples to desired consistency. Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator.

CRISPY DUCK & BAKED APPLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Pull any excess fat from the duck's cavity and use a roasting fork or skewer to prick the skin of the duck all over - do this lightly as you don't want to pierce the meat. Rub the duck generously inside and out with flaky sea salt, then lay, breast-side down, on a rack over a roasting tray. Roast the duck for 3 hrs, pricking again every now and then should you happen to pass by. While the duck is cooking, score a line gently around the middle of each apple and set aside (this stops them exploding when they cook).
• After 3 hrs, remove duck from the oven and turn the heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Sit the duck on a plate and carefully pour away most of the fat from the tin. Return the duck to the rack, right way up, and continue to roast for 30 mins. Put the apples in under the duck or around the side and roast for a final 30 mins. By now you should have the crispiest duck and apples on the verge of collapse. Leave the duck to rest for 10 mins, then carve and serve with the apples.