Many of us are familiar with the New Zealand tradition of the “roast dinner”, usually reserved for occasions when all the whanau get together. Whole chickens, a slow-roasted lamb leg or crispy skinned pork usually feature.
We’ve decided to mix it up and challenge the tradition, turning to Spanish cuisine for inspiration – think smokey spices, sweet raisins and bitter chocolate!
Along with the unique food flavours of Spain, their fortified wine, or sherry, is also making a resurgence as an alternative to wine and the sweetest of them all is the gorgeous Pedro Ximenez sherry. We have used this as the base to our sauce, adding a depth of flavour that no other liquor could offer.
Duck can be purchased from Moore Wilsons. We used a size 18 duckling. To obtain a crispy skin, turn the temperature up to 220 degrees for the last 15 minutes of cooking time – no longer or you will dry the meat.
Serves 2-4
Roasted duckling
Ingredients:
1 size 18 duckling, skin dried with a paper towel
1 Tbsp grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp flakey sea salt
1 lemon, cut in half
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
olive oil
6 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 cup Pedro Ximenez sherry
cinnamon stick
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
4–6 large agria potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 Tbsp harissa paste
2 Tbsp duck fat
4 Tbsp ground semolina
finely chopped rosemary
salt
50g bitter dark chocolate
Method:
- Preheat oven to 170℃.
- Mix nutmeg, paprika, ground cloves and sea salt together and rub generously over the duck.
- In a large frypan, add 1Tbsp oil and sear the duck for 3 minutes each side until it starts to colour. Remove from heat and place the lemon and rosemary in the cavity. Place in a roasting dish.
- In the same pan sauté the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes. Pour in the sherry to deglaze pan. Add the stock and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over the duck.
- Cover and bake for 2 ½ hours (45 minutes per kg).
- Increase temperature to 220℃ and bake for a further 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven.
- While the duck is cooking parboil the potatoes. This will not take long, as you want them to be still firm. Drain and cool.
- In a large bowl add the harissa, melted duck fat, semolina, rosemary and salt. Mix through the cool potatoes, coating all surfaces.
- Lay potatoes out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in the oven after the duck has been cooking for 2 hours. Continue to roast when the temperature has been increased, turning once.
- Remove duck from the liquor, cover with tinfoil and rest. While the duck is resting the potatoes will get crispy and golden at the higher temperature.
- Simmer the cooking liquor over a medium heat until reduced by half. Sieve and whisk in the chocolate. Keep warm until serving.
- We served this with roasted almonds and a kale, nectarine and pecorino salad.
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