Roast Duck with Orange and Chilli
For something a little different the recipe this week is one of our favourites, roast duck legs are easy to prepare and super delicious. We use fennel and celery in this dish rather than onion because they work exceptionally well with oranges and duck.
Time – preparation ½ hour, cooking time 1 ½ hours. Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 duck legs
- 1 medium / large fennel bulb sliced or medium diced
- 2 celery sticks chopped
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 tblsp flour
- 1 small orange washed and chopped into small pieces, skin on
- 2 long red chillis
- 500ml Orange juice
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C
- Brown the duck legs in a frying pan, start with a cold pan and heat (medium temp) to render the fat and brown the skin. Approx. 12-15 minutes on skin side then brown other side for approx. 3 minutes
- Place 2 large chillis in a casserole dish – cast iron is best
- Place browned duck legs, skin side up, on top of chilis
- Pour off all but about 2 tblsp of the rendered duck fat
- Add garlic, fennel and celery to frying pan, sauté in the duck fat on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes
- Sprinkle with the flour
- Sauté for approx. 3 more minutes
- Add 400ml of orange juice, reserve rest of juice to add later if needed
- Add salt & pepper to taste
- Bring to a simmer and add orange pieces
- Pour over the duck
- Put lid on casserole and cook for 1 hour
- Remove lid, check if more orange juice is needed
- Ensure duck is skin side up with no ingredients on top so the skin will crisp during final cooking time
- Leave lid off and return to oven for another ½ hour so the sauce reduces and duck crisps nicely
- Ideally serve with potatoes sautéed in duck fat and a green of your choice (beans etc)
Tip – try cooking the beans (or other greens) in chicken stock seasoned with salt & pepper and a slice of butter to add flavour and richness.
- Brown duck legs starting with cold pan then place in casserole dish on top of chillis
- Saute fennel garlic and celery until soft but not brown
- chop orange with skin on
- Add orange juice and orange pieces, bring to simmer and add to duck
- Pour sauteed ingredients over duck and roast for 1 hour with lid on
- Last half hour with lid off to brown duck and reduce sauce
- Saute par-cooked potatoes in duck fat until crispy and lightly browned
- Serve with crispy potatoes and a green of your choice