Ingredients

Method

• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• ½ t cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 1 whole duck
For the honey glaze, mix:
• 1 T honey
• 1 T apple juice
• 2 t olive oil
• ½ t salt
For the cherry, cinnamon and nutmeg sauce:
• 460 g cherries, stoned
• 170 ml Port
• ½ t cinnamon
• Nutmeg a pinch
• 3 T red wine
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 t butter, cubed and chilled

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 140°C.

Place the spices and seasoning in a mortar and pestle and crush until fine.

Wash the duck, pat it dry and then score the skin. Truss it (tie the drumsticks together) and place it breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the spice mix into the duck.

Pour ¾ cup warm water into the bottom of the pan and cover the roasting pan with foil.

Roast for 50 minutes. Turn the duck and poke the skin with a sharp knife. Roast for a further 50 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven, remove the foil and baste with the honey glaze. Turn the oven up to 200°C and return the duck to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes. The skin should crisp up nicely. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the cherry, cinnamon and nutmeg sauce.

To make the cherry, cinnamon and nutmeg sauce, halve the cherries and cook in the Port until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the spices, wine and season to taste. Reduce the sauce by half. Add the cold butter cubes one at a time until combined.