Confit duck leg with shoestring fries and plum ketchup

Method

1. Mix the five-spice and salt, then rub it all over the duck legs. Put in a container, cover and leave in the fridge to cure for 6 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the ketchup. Put the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the rest of the ketchup ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a jammy consistency. Transfer to a blender or food processor, whizz for 2-3 minutes with a tea towel over the hole until smooth, then taste – add a little more salt or vinegar if you think it needs it. Cover and set aside in the fridge.
3. After the duck has cured, heat the oven to 100°C fan/gas ½. Thoroughly wash the salt mixture off the duck legs, then pat dry. Put in a tight-fitting dish, pour over the goose or duck fat, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Cook in the oven for 3 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Leave the duck legs to cool in the fat (see Make Ahead).
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4. Peel the potatoes and use a julienne peeler or mandoline with a julienne attachment to slice them into thin matchsticks. Wash them in water 3 times to remove excess starch, then pat dry. Put a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat and a medium saucepan over a high heat. Put the fat used to cook the duck legs into the saucepan and heat to 180°C on a thermometer (or until a potato strand sizzles vigorously when added).
5. Put the cooked duck legs skin-side down in the frying pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until the skin crisps up. Turn over the legs, reduce the heat to low and brush the skin with a little of the plum sauce. Keep warm while you prepare the potatoes.
6. In batches, deep-fry the potatoes for 1-2 minutes or until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper, then sprinkle with salt.
7. Serve the duck legs with a pile of shoestring fries and a generous dollop of plum sauce on the side for dipping.