James Martin Roast Duck Recipes

CHRISTMAS ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Arrange the shelves of your oven so that there is space for the duck at the top and the potatoes on the shelf immediately underneath. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Layer the potatoes and onions in an large roasting dish, seasoning each layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over the stock, flattening the top layer down.
• Place the potatoes onto the lower shelf in the oven.
• Pierce the duck skin all over with a fork and stuff the neck end of the cavity with the satsuma halves and cinnamon stick. Rub the five-spice powder all over the skin and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place the duck directly onto the oven rack above the potatoes, so that the juices from the duck will drip onto the potatoes as they cook. If your dish with the potatoes is on the small side, it may be useful to put a very large empty tray on the bottom of the oven to catch any drips of fat.
• Roast for 1½-2 hours, or until the duck is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and golden-brown.
• Meanwhile, for the spiced cranberry apple sauce, bring the apples, cranberries and cider to the boil in a frying pan. Reduce the heat until simmering and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened. Season, to taste, with sugar, if too tart, then pour the sauce into a serving bowl and set aside.
• When the duck is cooked, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes on a serving platter while you cook the cabbage.
• Pour enough water into the bottom of a large frying pan to reach 1cm/½in up the sides of the pan. Add half of the butter and bring to the boil. When the butter has melted, add the cabbage and boil until it has just wilted, stirring occasionally. Add the dried cranberries and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve, spoon the wilted cabbage (drained, if necessary) onto a serving platter and lay the roast duck on top. Serve the potatoes and sauce alongside.

WHOLE ROASTED DUCK WITH PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, DUCK-FAT POTATOES AND BORDELAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• For the whole roasted duck, use a small sharp knife to pierce the skin of the duck all over, but be careful not to tear holes in the skin. Season the duck with salt and black pepper and place on a wire rack sat in a roasting tin. Roast for 25 minutes.
• Remove the duck from the oven and pour any excess fat from the roasting tin into a jug. Reduce the oven temperature to 120C/250F/Gas ½.
• When the oven reaches 120C/250F/Gas ½, return the duck to the oven and cook for a further 1¼ hours - basting with the reserved fat every 20 minutes. Once cooked allow the duck to rest for 30 minutes.
• For the duck fat potatoes, heat a large frying pan and add the duck fat. Once hot and melted, add the diced potatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until golden-brown and tender.
• For the bordelaise sauce, heat a medium saucepan and add the butter. Once hot, add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns and cook for a few minutes.
• Add the red wine and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half. Pour in the warm veal jus and reduce by half again. Season with a little sugar, to taste. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
• For the purple sprouting broccoli, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the water and refresh in ice-cold water.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the broccoli and gently fry for 1-2 minutes.
• To serve, remove the duck breasts from the roasted duck and cut into pieces. Divide the meat between serving plates. Serve the potatoes and broccoli next to the duck with a spoonful of the sauce.