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1
Preheat the oven to 220C / fan oven 200C / Gas Mark 7.
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2
Put the duck on a rack in a roasting tray (or straight into the bottom of it) and rub all over with a little sunflower oil.
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3
Season very generously with salt and plenty of dried rosemary.
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4
Roast in the oven for half an hour or so before checking.
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5
The skin should be nice and brown.
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6
Pour off any excess fat into a bowl.
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7
NOTE: The fat may need pouring off a few times during the cooking so as to prevent it burning.
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8
Keep it for frying eggs, roasting potatoes and the like.
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9
Turn down the heat to 180C / fan oven 160C / Gas Mark 4 and roast the duck for another hour or so.
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10
If not ready, continue to cook for increments of 15 minutes.
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11
The duck, in this instance should not be pink near the breast bone but cooked through.
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12
The legs should be very tender.
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13
While the duck cooks, cut the ends off one of the four oranges.
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14
Stand it on a board and cut the rind off in strips vertically, all the way round, taking care to cut only the rind and not the white pith.
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15
Stack the slices and slice them lengthways as thinly as you possibly can.
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16
Put the rind in a small saucepan and just cover with water.
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17
Bring to the boil and tip away the water.
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18
Cover again and re-boil for 4 minutes.
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19
Drain and leave to one side.
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20
Now squeeze all four oranges.
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21
Reserve the pip free juice for later.
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22
When the duck is ready, remove to a carving board to rest, covered with a loose bit of foil and a tea towel.
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23
Pour as much of the excess fat from the roasting tray as possible and put the tray back over a medium heat.
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24
Stir the wine into the sticky duck juices in the bottom of the tray followed by the orange juice.
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25
Squeeze the juice too from the grated ginger.
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26
Bring to a very rapid simmer and reduce the gravy until it is barely less than syrupy (reduced by about two thirds).
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27
Stir in the honey and rind from the oranges.
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28
Whisk in the knobs of butter until the sauce is glossy, creamy looking and thickened, then immediately transfer to a warm jug or bowl.
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29
Carve the duck and serve with the sauce.
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30
Make sure any running juices are whisked back into the sauce.
