Roast duck with balsamic vinegar
“Some generations ago, before refrigeration in Italy, my grandmother would preserve duck for months in its own fat.”
- For each person allow half a duck
- salt
- rocket leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
Duck fat can now be bought in tins at specialist food shops, but it's easy to render. After removing the legs and breast meat from a raw duck, trim the skin and fat from the remaining carcass and put it in a pot - keep the legs and breast for the recipe below. Add half a cup of water and simmer slowly until the liquid fat floats free. Strain and keep until needed.
Method
For each person allow half a duck - a leg, with thigh and leg bones intact, and a boneless breast fillet.
Make sure each piece has enough skin left to completely cover the flesh. Salt the skin with a couple of good pinches on each piece. Preheat the oven to 240C. Place them skin-side down on a large, ovenproof frypan and fry on a medium heat for a few minutes. This will crisp the skin as well as removing most of the fat.
Discard the fat and, keeping the duck pieces skin-side down, place in the oven. The breast will take about 5-8 minutes and the leg 10-15 minutes. Let stand after removing from the oven.
Meanwhile, dress some rocket leaves with a little extra virgin olive oil and distribute onto plates.
Slice each breast into 5-6 pieces and arrange on the rocket.
Cut each leg in half at the joint, add to the breast and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.
Serve immediately.
