Ingredients

• 2kg/4lb 8oz whole duck (without giblets)
• dash oil
• salt
• to taste
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil or duck fat
• 3 shallots
• chopped
• 150ml/5fl oz port
• 150ml/5fl oz red wine
• 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1½ tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2½ tbsp cornflour
• 200g/7oz frozen pitted cherries
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7
• Sit the duck
• breast-side up on a wire rack in a roasting tin. Rub the skin with oil and season the skin with salt. Roast for about 30 minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140 Fan/Gas 3 and slow roast for 2½ hours
• basting from time to time. The duck should be tender in the wings and the legs should be easily pulled away from the body.
• Drain the fat from the bottom of the tin. Increase the heat back to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7 and cook the duck for 20–30 minutes
• or until golden-brown and the skin is crisp. Rest for 15 minutes before carving.
• To make the cherry sauce
• heat the oil or duck fat in a saucepan and fry the shallots over a high heat until lightly golden-brown. Add the port
• wine and stock and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by a third. Add jelly and vinegar.
• Strain and discard the shallots. Put the cornflour in a small bowl and mix with a dash of water until smooth. Add a little of the hot liquid to the bowl and return to the saucepan
• then add the cherries and carefully bring to the boil
• stirring. Season with salt and pepper and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.
• Carve the duck – it will be very tender
• but not pink. Serve with the cherry sauce.