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Duck with red fruit, what could be a more Valentine’s day appropriate main course? Though this takes 3 hours to make, most of that time is hands off (margination and slow roasting) so you have plenty of time for your significant other.
Prep time 20 minutes/Cook time 180 minutes/Serves 2 (plus margination time)
Ingredients:
2Duck legs (about 225g [1/2 lb] each)
6 firm but ripe plums (red-fleshed for preference)
4 echalion shallots
125g (1/2 lb) brown basmati rice
25g (1 oz) blanched hazelnuts
1-2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
For the marinade
1 heaped tsp Chinese five spice paste
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
juice and finely-grated zest of ½ orange
1 tsp clear honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise (optional)
Method:
In a medium bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Trim the duck of any excess fat, turn the duck in the marinade, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Tip the duck legs and marinade into a medium roasting tin, cover with foil and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes; remove the tin from the oven.
Halve and stone the plums and halve the shallots lengthways and peel; arrange both around the duck legs. Return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 1 hour 30 minutes until the meat is falling away from the bone.
About 30 minutes before the duck is due to come out of the oven, cook the rice in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes, drain and return to the pan. Spread the hazelnuts out on a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until toasted. Cool slightly, then roughly chop. Fold into the rice.
Serve the duck with the plums, shallots and hazelnut rice; scatter with chopped coriander. Discard the cinnamon stick and star anise, if using, before serving.
