Whole roast duck with cranberry and orange sauce, braised fennel

A twist on a classic recipe

Serves: 4-5
Prep
25 mins
Cook
Weight dependent

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Gressingham duck
  • 1 tbsp light olive oil
  • 2 onions, peeled, roughly chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half
  • Small bunch thyme
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 bulbs fennel, cut in half lengthways
  • 50g salted butter
  • 125 ml white wine
  • 200 ml chicken stock
  • 1 whole orange, thickly sliced
  • 500g cranberries (fresh or frozen )
  • 150 to 170g caster sugar depending on sharpness of cranberry.
  • 3 tbsp marmalade

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C, Fan 180°C, Gas Mark 6.
  2. Remove the packaging from the duck along with the bag of giblets ( if included ) Weigh the duck to calculate the roasting time. It will need 20 mins per 500g plus an extra 10 mins. Pat dry the duck skin dry with a kitchen towel. Prick the skin in and around the point where the thigh meets the breast. Season well with salt and pepper inside out and place one half of the garlic bulb inside the cavity.
  3. Put the onions, carrots, celery, dry herbs in the base of a large deep-sided roasting tray. Season the vegetables, drizzle the oil over and mix together. Place the duck on top of the vegetable and place in the oven.
  4. While the duck is cooking, place the fennel and orange slices in a casserole dish and add the wine, stock and butter. Season, cover the dish, place in the oven for 45 mins until the fennel is tender- test with a knife or skewer.
  5. Put your cranberries and sugar into a pan on a medium heat and when the cranberries begin to break down add in the marmalade, bring to the boil, stir and take off heat. You can prepare this earlier if you have time and then gently re- heat.
  6. When the duck is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 30 mins before presenting it whole ready for carving along with the braised fennel and cranberry and orange sauce. The dish will go well with an addition of roasted new potatoes and seasonal greens if desired.
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Our Story

The Gressingham duck is a unique breed that first came about when the small but flavourful wild Mallard was crossed with the larger Pekin duck giving a meaty, succulent duck with more breast meat, less fat and a rich gamey flavour.

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