Danielle Alvarez’s roast duck with nectarine and mustard relish

Rinse duck inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Bring 2 litres water to the boil in a saucepan over high heat. Place duck breast-side up in a large colander over sink and pour over boiling water, then pat dry with paper towel. Stand to cool (20 minutes).

Place duck on a rack set over a baking tray. Mix honey and vinegar in a bowl to form a glaze (see note). Brush duck with the half the glaze and place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour. Brush with remaining glaze, season all over with salt and return to refrigerator to dry out (24-48 hours), which ensures a thin, crisp skin.

For relish, combine all ingredients except half the diced nectarine in a saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until thickened (20-25 minutes). Stir through remaining nectarines and cook, stirring, until slightly softened but still hold their shape (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to
1 week in advance.

Remove duck from refrigerator sand stand for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced. Using a paring knife, score fat on breasts on an angle at 5mm intervals. Scatter over fennel seeds and season with black pepper, rubbing into cuts. Tuck in wings. Stuff cavity with sage, spices and orange halves and truss legs with kitchen twine. Place duck on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast, rotating tray occasionally, until crisp and deep golden (1 hour or until internal temperature of thickest part of breast reads 58°C on a meat thermometer; see note). Set aside to rest (15 minutes). Carve duck and serve with nectarine and mustard relish on the side.