Christmas roast duck
If you’re cooking a Christmas dinner for 4 people or less it’s easier to roast a smaller bird – such as a duck, pheasant or guinea fowl. The spices used with this slow-cooked Christmas roast duck create all the proper festive flavours & aromas! Moreover it’s cooked with potatoes, so you’ll only need to make a couple of easy side dishes (I recommend braised red cabbage, apple sauce and a veggie mash) – and you’re ready to go!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 140°C.
- Remove any giblets and clean the duck inside & out.
- Prick the skin all over – but only the skin, not the flesh!
- Rub the duck skin with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the lemon in half and put inside the cavity together with the cinnamon, star anise and garlic.
- Place the duck on a wire rack in a large baking tray.
- Roast in the oven for 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, peel potatoes, cut them in half and cook for 10 minutes in lightly salted water until just cooked. Rinse with cold water, drain.
- Remove the duck to a plate from the oven and turn up the temperature to 200°C.
- Pour the duck fat into a bowl then replace the duck in the middle of the tray.
- Using a slotted spoon, dip the potatoes in the fat then put them around the duck, next to each other in the roasting tin.
- Roast for about 30 minutes until the duck skin is crispy.
- Transfer the duck to a large serving dish, cover it with foil and tea towels. Put the potatoes back in the oven and cook until golden & crispy – about 15-20 minutes more.
- Put the potatoes and other roasted/braised vegetables around the duck and serve!