In Justine Schofield’s family, Christmas is all about feasting and sharing beautiful whole roasts. This is her festive duck recipe – the rich, earthy flavour of the duck works perfectly with the cherries in the light, simple salsa.
Ingredients
- 2kg whole duck, wing tips removed
- 1 orange, halved
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Cherry salsa
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- 1 French shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 fresh long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
- 2 cups ripe fresh cherries, pitted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Equipment
- Roasting pan and rack
Method
- Step 1Remove duck from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Rinse inside and out. Pat dry with paper towel. Zest and juice half the orange. Reserve. Cut second half into quarters.
- Step 2Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced. Place the cinnamon, thyme and orange quarters into the duck cavity. Place the duck on a ‘v’ rack in a roasting pan.
- Step 3Season skin with salt. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes or until juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Set aside uncovered for 20 minutes to rest.
- Step 4Meanwhile, for the salsa, place the basil leaves on top of each other and roll up. Use a sharp knife to finely shred the leaves. Place in a bowl. Add the shallot, chilli, reserved orange zest and 1 tbs orange juice.
- Step 5Place the cherries in a bowl and lightly bruise with a fork to release some of the juices. Add cherries to the basil mixture with the oil and vinegar. Season and set aside for 15 minutes, to macerate.
- Step 6To carve duck, use a carving fork and knife to cut between the breast and legs. Slice down 1 side of the breast bone. Repeat on other side. Halve breasts. Transfer breasts and legs to a platter. Serve with salsa.
- High protein
- Low carb
- Low sugar
- Lower gi
- Paleo
Nutrition
5037 kj
Energy
63.1g
Fat Total
21.9g
Saturated Fat
1.9g
Fibre
118.3g
Protein
445mg
Cholesterol
343mg
Sodium
4.6g
Carbs (sugar)
34.1g
Carbs (total)
All nutrition values are per serve
Notes
- Don’t throw away the duck fat that gathers in the roasting pan! Add parboiled potatoes to the hot fat and roast until crisp, or you can try it with brussels sprouts and chunky broccoli.
- This cherry salsa is very versatile – it’s great with other Christmas meats, such as turkey and ham.
- Author: Justine Schofield
- Image credit: Jeremy Simons
- Publication: Taste Magazine
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