Roast duck with sweet potato fondants

Bring water, bay leaves, coriander, juniper, cloves, peppercorns, sugar and salt to the boil. Allow to cool. Trim excess fat around the cavity of each duck. Place ducks in brine so they are fully submerged and leave for 12 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 200C. Place ducks on a roasting tray breast-side up and season well. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Cut each sweet potato into two four-centimetre-long pieces, giving you 16 pieces. Place flat side down in a large saucepan so they fit snugly. Add water to saucepan until it reaches just to the top of the potatoes. Bring to the boil, add butter and continue to boil on a high heat until the water has evaporated and the potatoes start to fry in the butter. Do not disturb potato, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until bottom of saucepan is dark brown. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a few minutes before gently removing from pan. Serve with roast duck and a bitter-leaf salad.