Twice Roasted Crispy Skin Duck in Persian aromatics with citrus flavours

Recipe by Corrine Evatt and Mary-Jane Craig from Signature Dish
Ingredients First roasting
  • 1 size 16 free range Duck
Persian / citrus sauce preparation
  • 1 teaspoon ground White pepper
  • 1 Dessert Spoon Murray River Salt
  • 1 Dessert Spoon ground fenugreek
  • 1 Dessert Spoon ground Cumin
  • 1 Dessert Spoon ground Fennel
  • 1 Dessert Spoon ground Coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground Turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground Nutmeg
  • Clarified butter
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 large slice Ginger
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 cinnamon quills
  • 2 L duck stock
  • 300 g premium Orange marmalade
  • 1 Lime rind only
  • 1 Lemon juice only
  • 1 orange juice only
  • Pure Cornflour mixed with cold water
Method First roasting
  • Remove neck and wing tips from duck and use to make stock*
  • Wash and dry surface then rub with salt and oil.
  • Place into a baking dish with water an inch deep.
  • Cover dish with foil and put in bottom of a very hot oven 180C
  • Steam roast for 2 hours.
  • Check progress - duck should be pale brown but breast
  • should feel soft when pressed down - you may need to cook
  • a further fifteen minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely (over night is good) being careful not to tear any of the skin - especially over the leg.
Persian / citrus sauce preparation
  • Whilst duck is roasting make the sauce.
  • Pour enough clarified butter in the bottom of a heavy based pot.
  • Without burning it - heat and add the dry spices and aromatics.
  • Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until aromas are released.
  • Add 1and a half litres of hot duck stock and 300gms of marmalade.
  • Bring to the boil and add the ginger and citrus ingredients.
  • When boiling, turn down to a slow simmer and add the Murray River salt and pepper to taste. You will need to adjust this to your taste but don’t be shy of adding more salt.
  • The seasoning at this stage is critical to set the balance of
  • sweet and savoury without crowding out the aromatics.
  • You may even need to add more citrus juice and/or marmalade.
  • Simmer for 15 minutes - thicken to loose consistency with cornflour and simmer a further 5 minutes.
  • Strain into another pot and set aside.
Second roasting
  • Cut duck through centre breast bone length wise and remove breast plate, minor bones and neckbone.
  • Cut into portions by cutting through each half on an
  • angle across the breast towards the leg.
  • Using kitchen plyers take the exposed portion of bone away from the leg and wing and trim any scrappy bits.
  • Set portions aside on an open baking tray.
  • The duck is now ready for the second roasting.
  • Pour some duck stock generously over the duck portions
  • and place into a very hot oven 180c on the top shelf.
  • Then leave until skin is crispy brown and the stock has evaporated.
  • This will take about 20 minutes.
To serve
  • Heat the strained sauce.
  • Plate the portions of duck by pouring some of the sauce into the base of a shallow wide rimmed white bowl.
  • Place the duck onto the sauce being careful to present the crispy skin upwards.
  • To garnish - lie the cinnamon quills on top of the duck.
  • Accompany the duck with sides of sugarsnap peas and finely chopped ginger with plain steamed baby potatoes tossed in a little clarified butter.
Notes And Tips

If you can’t buy ready made duck stock, this can be easily made by using the neck and wing trimmings and following a basic stock making recipe found in numerous cook books readily available in good book stores.

What Do You Think?
  • jackicam
    jackicam 10 months ago
    We've got a"pet" duck in the backyard. Don't know whether it's legitimately free range but it's definitely "free reign" It's gotta go - and this is the perfect place for it to be going. Will keep you posted on how this dish tastes : )
    Reply to this comment
  • Grace
    Grace 8 months ago
    how many people does this recipe serve?
    Reply to this comment
  • Autumn
    Autumn 4 months ago
    Hello from San Francisco! Thank you for this recipe! I made it for a small dinner party and it was the first time I'd ever made duck and it was a success!
    Reply to this comment
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