Roast duck

Serves 6

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 Duck, approx. 3 kg/ 6.6 lb, thawed
• 1 tart apple
• 2 red onions
• 2 plums
• 200 g / 7 oz prunes, pitted
• Juice of 1 orange
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs thyme
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Heat the oven to 160°C / 320°F on fan setting.
• Ensure that all entrails and feathers have been removed from the duck.
• Cut apples, onions and plums into wedges. Transfer fruit wedges to a bowl and combine with whole prunes, orange juice, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Rub a generous amount of salt (approx. 2 tbsp) on the inside and outside of the duck. Stuff the duck with the fruit filling and close the back tightly using a few meat skewers.
• Transfer the duck to a rack and place in the middle of the oven. Place a roasting pan with approximately 1 litre of water underneath the rack. If you are planning to make sauce using the fluid in the roasting pan when the duck is done, add a couple of onions and parsnips to the water.
• Roast the duck for approximately 3 hours or until it reaches a core temperature of 70-75°C / °158-167 in the breast and thighs. Baste the duck with fluid from the roasting pan every 30 minutes.
• For extra crispy duck skin, grill in the oven for the last 5 minutes.