Crisp Roast Duck by Delia Smith
By Delia Smith
This is the best method of roasting duck I've found to date. The morello cherry sauce is deceptively simple and a perfect partner for duck.
It's important to remember, however, that the duck should be as dry as possible, so buy it 24 hours in advance, remove and discard the wrapping, dry it in a clean tea cloth and leave it uncovered on a plate in the fridge till needed.
Method
Step 1
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8 or 230°C (conventional top and bottom heat)
Step 2
Prepare the duck by wiping it as dry as possible with kitchen paper. Now, using a small skewer, prick the fatty bits of the duck's skin, particularly between the legs and the breast. Now either place the duck on the roasting rack in the tin or make a rack yourself by crumpling the kitchen foil and placing it in the bottom of the roasting tin. Season with salt flakes and freshly milled black pepper, using quite a lot of salt, as this encourages crunchiness.
Step 3
Now place the tin on the centre shelf of the pre-heated oven and roast the duck for 2 hours. During the cooking time, using an oven glove to protect your hands, remove the tin from the oven and drain the fat from the corner of the tin – do this about 3 times (the fat is brilliant for roast potatoes, so don't throw it away).
Step 4
Meanwhile, to make the sauce simply combine the jam and wine and bring it up to a simmer then simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken it slightly.
Step 5
When the cooking time is up, allow the duck to rest for 20 minutes or so, then carve and serve garnished with the fresh watercress, with the sour-cherry confit poured over each portion and the rest handed round separately in a jug.
© Delia Smith 2021
For more Delia recipes visit www.deliaonline.com
Ingredients:
1 x 4 – 5 lb (1.8 – 2.3K) salt-aged free-range duck
Fresh watercress to garnish
Salt flakes and freshly milled black pepper
275g top-quality morello cherry jam
225ml red wine
You will also need:
roasting rack or some kitchen foil,
roasting tin measuring
23 x 28cm, 5cm deep
