David’s Hungarian roast duck with seasonal fruit

‘My mother’s family fled Hungary and arrived in Australia with nothing in 1949, settling in Sydney’s outer western suburbs where I was born. One of Mum’s sisters raised geese and ducks in the backyard to be eaten for special occasions and Mum carried out the dispatching of the poultry, de-feathering the birds via the application of hot water. As a kid I was always keen to attend these events — much less so my father who, despite his large stature and generally silent demeanour, was a very gentle soul. I learnt to cook from Mum and it’s been a welcome foil to the stress in my legal career, not to mention the great pleasure I get from feeding my family. This recipe is adapted from a Hungarian dish my mother used to make and that my family love. She’d probably roll her eyes if she could see what I’ve done to it, but I think she’d like it if she could taste it.’

David Cross, retail customer

Feeds: 4 | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 3 hours
Special equipment: Wire rack on a roasting tin, kitchen string

1 pasture-raised duck (2–2.5 kg/4 lb 8 oz–5 lb 8 oz)

2–3 seasonal citrus fruits (oranges, mandarins, clementines or a mix), thickly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) juice from the chosen citrus

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 160°C (315°F).

Rinse duck under running water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towel. Lightly score breasts in parallel diagonal lines with a sharp knife — be careful not to cut through to the flesh. Stuff the cavity with citrus and garlic. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and secure the cavity with toothpicks or half a skewer.

Combine citrus juice and vinegar in a bowl. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of this mixture for the last stage.

Rub the duck all over with salt and place breast-side up on a wire rack in a roasting tin. Roast for 1 hour, then carefully turn duck over and roast for 40 minutes, breast-side down. Turn duck back over and baste with some citrus and vinegar mixture. Roast, basting every 10 minutes, for another 40 minutes.

Stir honey through reserved basting liquid until thoroughly combined. Remove duck from oven and brush all over with the honey mixture, then roast, brushing every 10 minutes, for a final 40 minutes until glossy, golden and cooked through. Rest for 5–10 minutes before carving.