Duck à l’orange sanguine

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180ºC fan/gas 6. Set aside the giblets and pat the duck as dry as possible with kitchen paper. Prick the skin all over with a small sharp knife, particularly in the fatty areas around the legs, then sit the bird on a roasting tray and season well. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, basting halfway through with the fat in the tray.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Take the giblets and discard the liver (as this will make the sauce bitter). Put the neck and heart in a pan with a splash of oil. Fry over a medium heat until browned all over, then add the peppercorns, star anise, thyme and 500ml water. Simmer vigorously for about 20 minutes until reduced to 100ml. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug and discard the solids.
3. Juice 2 of the oranges into a bowl to give around 150ml juice. Slice the peel from the third, then carefully slice off any pith. Set half aside for another recipe, then slice the rest of the peel into 1mm strips. Segment the whole orange, adding any extra juice to the bowl.
4. Put the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and simmer until syrupy, then add the wine, duck stock and orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by two thirds. Add the strips of orange peel, then leave to reduce further until you have a glossy sauce (see ‘Be a better cook’). Keep warm to serve.
5. Once cooked, leave the duck to rest on a board for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Take the cavolo nero and strip the leaves off the stalks, then finely chop the stalks. Add the leaves and stalks to the water and cook for 4 minutes, then drain and season.
6. To serve, arrange the cavolo nero on a serving platter. Carve the duck and arrange it on top. Finish with the blood orange segments and a little sauce.