For 6 persons
Ingredients for the glazed duck: 2.2 kg duck, 20 g fresh ginger, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 cup preserved ginger, 1 tsp salt, ½ cup pomegranate juice
Ingredients for the wild rice: 2 cups wild rice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup pomegranate seeds, 2 cups kale, ¼ cup dried apricots, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup chopped chives, coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
Ingredients for the dressing: 100 ml olive oil, ½ cup red onion (finely chopped), 10 ml honey, 10 ml apple vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, juice and zest of one lemon
Preparation: The first thing to do is to glaze the duck. Peel and squeeze the fresh ginger and mix it with the spices, pickled ginger and pomegranate juice. Then put the glaze aside, preheat the oven to 190 degrees and now turn your attention to the duck. First dab the skin dry with a paper towel and then season with salt. Leave the duck to stand for 30 minutes and then place it in the hot oven on a deep baking tray. The duck should cook for about an hour (about half an hour per kilogram of meat). Brush the meat with the glaze 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, put it back in the oven for ten minutes and then brush it with the glaze again. Repeat this process until the duck is cooked and has a golden brown colour. If the meat turns too brown before the end of the cooking time, you can cover it loosely with a foil. Take the duck out of the oven after cooking and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving the meat.
While the duck is cooking in the oven, you can devote yourself to wild rice. Place it in a medium sized pot with a teaspoon of salt and cover it with water. Bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the rice simmer until it is done. In the meantime, you can blanch the kale and cut it into fine strips. Strain and rinse the rice and mix it with the other ingredients. Depending on your taste, you can season with salt and pepper. Now only the dressing is missing. For this, simply stir all the ingredients until creamy and serve together with the wild rice and duck. Our tip: If you keep a few pomegranate seeds, you can use them for the garnish at the end – this gives the festive dish a very special shine.
Our wine recommendation:
A wonderful combination to the spicy roast duck is the La Motte Pierneef Syrah Viognier 2018, because its great play of aromas of spicy and fruity nuances as well as well-integrated oak notes and the soft texture harmonise wonderfully with this dish. Or take theLa Motte Cellarmaster Vintage Selection Shiraz Grenache 2018, which with its spicy and elegant character is also a beautiful dining companion. Find all wines from the winery La Motte here which is located in the beautiful Franschhoek.
