Ingredients
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2 duck leg
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1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
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1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed
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FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE
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1 tsp vegetable oil
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1 baby shallot, finely diced
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1 garlic clove, crushed
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1/4 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
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1 tsp fresh root ginger, peeled and finely diced
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150g fresh blueberries
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1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice
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1 star anise
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1 strip of orange peel
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1 tbsp soft brown sugar
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1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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1 tsp dark soy sauce (reduced salt)
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TO SERVE
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8 Chinese duck pancakes
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1/2 cucumber, halved, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
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1 red pepper pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
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4 spring onions, halved and finely shredded
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1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Directions
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Pat the skin of each duck leg dry with kitchen roll and rub all over with the Chinese five-spice and ground Szechuan peppercorns.
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Season with salt and place both legs on a baking tray. Roast in a preheated oven at 160C for 75 minutes, basting with the juices occasionally (reserve any excess oil for roast potatoes).
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Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick saucepan and sauté the shallot for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Toss in the garlic, ginger and red chilli and stir-fry for 1 minute.
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Tip in the blueberries with the Chinese five-spice, star anise, orange peel, sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries have broken down and the consistency is jam-like.
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Season to taste with the soy sauce, then transfer to a blender (don’t forget to discard the orange peel and star anise) and blitz until smooth. Leave to cool and transfer to a ramekin.
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Rest the duck legs for 5 minutes, then shred the meat and microwave the pancakes according to pack instructions. Serve alongside the cucumber, pepper, spring onions, carrot and the shredded duck with the blueberry sauce on the side.
