Duck and other game birds are the meats we traditionally serve at Christmas; turkey has only recently appeared on our Christmas table. The principle is the same: a special, rich meat that is not eaten every day. This method of slow-cooking results in an incredibly crispy skin and leaves the rich meat almost falling off the bone. Drain the remaining fat in the tin and keep it to roast potatoes in – the flavour is delicious.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced. Place a wire rack over a baking dish or roasting tin large enough to hold the two ducks.
- Place two garlic cloves and two sprigs of rosemary in the cavity of each duck.
- Juice both halves of the orange and add a drizzle of olive oil, then rub this over the skin of each duck and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Tuck the squeezed orange halves into the cavities of the ducks.
- Place the ducks on the rack and roast for 2½–3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. The meat should be well cooked and tender and the skin crispy.
- Serve immediately on a platter with the orange slices.
Serves 8
2 × 2 kg ducks, rinsed and wiped dry
4 cloves garlic
4 × 8 cm sprigs rosemary
1 orange, halved
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper
thick orange slices studded with rosemary, to serve
Mangia! Mangia! Gatherings
