This is a winning dish that will impress anyone at your table. It can be dressed up as an elegant number or simply shared as we have here with slices of cucumber and plenty of napkins for your fingers.
Coriander salt
4 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons sea salt, ground to fine powder
Duck
1 whole duck, size 18
100 millilitres Cooking oil
Poaching stock
2 large onions, quartered
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 celery sticks, diced
2 Farro cinnamon sticks
6 pods green cardamom, cracked
1 fresh red chilli split
Pinch of saffron threads
5 tablespoons Honey
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 litres water
To serve
fresh coriander
fresh mint
1 Cucumber sliced
Tahini yoghurt - see recipe below
pita pockets
Orange slices
Tahini yogurt
100 grams greek yoghurt
25 grams Tahini
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and Pepper
Create your coriander salt by lightly heating the salt, coriander and cumin in a non-stick frying pan so they merge into one fragrant powder
Remove the duck’s neck and wing tips. Pluck out any remaining feathers. Rub the duck all over with half the coriander salt and refrigerate overnight. Reserve remaining salt
The following day, put all the poaching stock ingredients into a large pot and bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes
Carefully immerse the duck. Cover with lid and simmer gently for one hour. Don’t allow the stock to boil. After an hour turn off heat and leave the duck to sit in the hot stock for 5 minutes before taking out to drain well. Invert the duck to ensure all the stock drains from the cavity. Leave it to dry in the fridge for a couple of hours
When duck is ready to cook, cut into 10 pieces
Preheat oven to 200C
In a large frying pan heat olive oil and fry duck, skin side down, and cook until golden brown (4-5 minutes) on medium heat. Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper. Place duck on baking tray and place in oven for 6-8 minutes, duck should be hot and sizzling
Serve with fresh mint, coriander, strips of cucumber, tahini yoghurt (recipe below), pita pockets, sliced orange and the remaining coriander salt
For the Tahini yogurt:
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well (Makes 1/2 a cup)
Quick tip:
You can prepare you duck a day in advance