Braised duck with grapes, duck-fat potatoes and watercress

This simple yet sophisticated dish relies on quality booze.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 duck Marylands (about 1 kg), at room temperature
• 6 banana shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 each rosemary and thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
• 1 kg kipfler potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• 250 ml (1 cup) port
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) red wine
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
• 80 gm (1/4 cup) fig conserve
• 2 tsp pink peppercorns
• 500 gm red grapes, cut into clusters
• Watercress salad
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bunch watercress, leaves picked

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 11: Preheat oven to 220°C fan-forced. Prick duck skin all over with a skewer. Season. Heat a large shallow casserole over medium-high heat. Add duck, skin-side down and cook until skin is golden (6-7 minutes). Remove from heat. Transfer duck to a plate. Drain fat into a large bowl and reserve for potatoes. Add shallots, herbs and garlic halves to casserole, place duck, skin-side up on top and transfer to the oven. Reduce temperature to 170°C fan-forced and roast for 30 minutes.
2. 22: Meanwhile, add potatoes to bowl with reserved duck fat, carefully toss to coat (duck fat will be hot) and season. Place on a large oven tray lined with baking paper; roast, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp (40-50 minutes).
3. 33: While potatoes are cooking, place port and wine in a saucepan and bring to a simmer; reduce by half (6-8 minutes), then add stock, fig conserve and pink peppercorns, simmering until reduced slightly (4-5 minutes). Remove casserole from oven. Reduce oven to 150°C fan-forced. Pour sauce around duck and arrange grapes on top. Return casserole to oven; roast, uncovered, until duck is golden, tender and sauce has reduced slightly (45 minutes – 1 hour).
4. 44: Transfer duck and grapes to plate and set aside to rest (15 minutes). Skim excess fat from pan juices, then return duck and grapes.
5. 55: For watercress salad, whisk all ingredients except watercress in a large bowl until combined. Season, then add watercress and dress.
6. 66: Serve braised duck with roast potatoes and dressed watercress on the side.