Duck Braised in Orange Juice with Star Anise

Busy, busy couple of weeks, my brother and his family have been over from Holland and trying to organise a last minute family party took its toll on my time, but I have plently of recipes to post later on that, for now I just had to post this one dish.

We were catching up with Rick Steins Far Eastern Adventure, so many brilliant dishes, but he said that if we only cook one dish from the whole series then make it this one - we were hooked. I had in the freezer a Gressingham Duck waiting for a special occasion and a special recipe.

Duck Braised in Orange Juice with Star Anise

1 Duck, cut into serving pieces

2 tsbp Vegetable Oil

3 Cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3cm Root ginger, peeled and sliced

3-4 Spring onions, cut into 4cm lengths

6 Star Anise

3-4 whole Chillies, I used 2 super hot small green chillies, would have used red birdseye if available.
1 Stalk lemongrass, bruised

2 tbsp Fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar

Juice of 3-4 oranges

Liberal grinding to black pepper

Cornflour

Fry the duck pieces in oil until the fat is rendered and the skin brown and beginning to crisp. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat.

Add garlic and ginger and stir, then add the orange juice, enough to not quite cover the duck. Add fish sauce, star anise, lemongrass, sugar and chillies along with a ground pepper. Stir and simmer covered until the duck is tender - approx 1 hour.

Add the spring onions about 10 mins before the duck is finished.

Remove the duck pieces and lay on a bed of rice (I used basmati). Remove the lemongrass and Star Anise. Mix cornflour with a little water and pour into the sauce to thicken. Spoon over the dish add a little garnish of chopped spring onion stalks.

What can I say, this was the most delicious dish ever, I was sorry when it was finished. Definitely a dish to be remembered and tried out for a dinner party - certainly has the wow factor.