Roasted duck with orange and Szechuan pepper
The distinctive taste of Szechuan pepper adds a tingle to this delicious roast duck dish.
Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large duck, about 1.8 kg
salt and pepper
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp plain flour
500ml chicken stock
4 strips orange peel
2 bay leaves
3 star anise
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Melt the butter and oil in a large, deep casserole with a lid.
Cut the legs off the duck and remove the back area, only leaving the two breasts attached to the bone.
Season the meat, then sear the duck pieces on both sides in the butter and oil until lightly coloured. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the onions and carrots, leave to colour over a moderate heat, then add the celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
Toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan then crush or grind quite finely. Add them with the flour to the vegetables and stir well.
Cook for 3 or 4 minutes then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, add the orange peel, bay leaves and star anise, then return the duck pieces to the pan.
Cover with a lid and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the duck from the pot and rest for 5 minutes in a warm place.
To serve, cut each leg in half through the knee joint and place on a plate.
Remove the duck breasts from the body and carve into 6 slices each, then divide leg and breast meat between four plates.
Serve with a few of the cooking vegetables and a little sauce.
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Frank Camorra is chef and co-owner of MoVida Sydney and Melbourne's MoVida Bar De Tapas.
