Christmas 2010 - Roast Duck with Orange & Thyme

Since i am very lucky to have got a new double oven, i felt, just a roast pork might not be enough food for the family christmas dinner. So chose to make roast duck in a western style. I took the recipe from Waitrose, but lets say i went with my instinct, and used the ingredients as an inspiration, but interpreted it to make it my own recipe.

I was very nervous with this recipe, because it is my first roast duck, and even whilst roasting i was asking everyone 'Does it smell nice?', but on the otherhand my go-with-the-flow attitude made it very enjoyable making this rosy bird.

Luckily, all my diners are very happy, and my mother is convinced and encouraged to roast duck english style in her kitchen. Again, i had very hungry diners, so did not manage to take much pictures to reflect the yummy bird. 

Ingredients

1 Duck (1.5kg)
Sea salt
Ground Black Pepper
4 Sprigs of fresh Thyme
3 Oranges (quartered)
300ml Red Wine
1 Red Onions
2 tspn Olive oil

Method

1) Preheat oven at 220C. Wipe the duck clean inside & out then season inside with seasalt & pepper and squeeze some fresh orange juice.
2) Stuff inside the duck with already quartered oranges and thyme and onion.  Prick the duck's skin and rub with sea salt. Pour the red wine over the duck skin. Drizzle the olive oil. Set in a roasting tray and cover with foil and put it in oven for 30mins
3)Drop the oven for 180C and further oven for 50mins (if you are roasting potatoes, carrots, please put it in now)
4)After 30mins... take foil off and put it back in to roast for a further 20mins. or until its cooked, check by looking for the juices runs clear when piercing at ther leg thickest point.

Happy Cooking!