A faster, friendlier alternative to Christmas turkey — delicious, forgiving and far less intimidating than it looks.

Ingredients

• 1 × 2kg duck (best quality you can find)
• 1 orange
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 100g quince paste or quince relish
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 100ml orange juice
• 100ml balsamic vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 shot liqueur, brandy or rum (or Verjuice, if preferred)
• Fine salt

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C.
2. Prick the orange all over with a small knife and place it inside the duck’s cavity.
   Roughly slice the onion and carrots and scatter them into a roasting tray to form a bed.
   Sit the duck on top and lightly truss the legs.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients to make a glaze — reserve ¼ for serving.
4. Pat the duck dry, season lightly with salt, brush with some of the glaze, and place in the oven.
5. Roast for 40 minutes per kilo, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes to build a glossy, caramelised skin.
6. Rest for at least 15 minutes, then brush with the reserved glaze just before serving.

Tips for Perfect Duck

• Pat the duck completely dry for crispier skin.
• For extra crackle: roast at 210°C for the first 20 minutes, then reduce to 190°C.
• Keep the duck raised on the vegetable bed to help the heat circulate evenly.
• Save any rendered duck fat — it’s liquid gold for potatoes and vegetables.

Serving Suggestions

• Duck fat roasted potatoes (non-negotiable).
• Bitter greens or radicchio/fennel salad for freshness.
• Cranberry relish, cherry compote or fresh orange segments.