A traditional British recipe, this roast duck is so easy to make
Preparation time: 75 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Serves: 4
1 free-range whole duck, around 2 to 2.2kg (41/2 to 5lb)
1 Pierce the skin of the duck all over with a skewer. Place on a rack in the kitchen sink, and pour over 2 full kettles of boiling water. Pat it dry with kitchen towel and leave it to dry on a plate in the fridge for an hour. You do this to release the subcutaneous fat layer under the skin to give crispy, not fatty, duck.
2 Preheat the oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6. Place the duck on a rack or trivet over a deep roasting tin, as it will release around 300g (10oz) fat into the tin.
3 Add plenty of sea salt and roast for 90 minutes. Strain off the fat and keep it for the best roast potatoes ever.
4 Don’t try to carve a duck; joint it. Remove the legs just as you would a chicken. Now take the whole breasts off the bone, which will make the duck go much further. Ease your knife along the breast bone then slice the breast. This will give four good servings of tender meat without any fattiness.
