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Atul Kochhar’s Assam-spiced duck
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2kg whole Gressingham duck
For the Assam spice powder
- 4 dried red chillies, deseeded
- 1tsp turmeric
- 2tsp black cumin seeds
- 5cm cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 1tsp black pepper
- 1tsp aniseed
- 2 Indian bay leaves or Malabar leaves
For the vegetables
- 4 small three-colour party carrots, cut in half lengthwise
- 4 small parsnips, cut in half lengthwise
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 red onions, cut into quarters
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 small knob ginger, washed and lightly smashed
For the gravy
- 1tbsp chopped ginger
- 2 green chillies, slit open
- 2 red chillies, thinly sliced
- 1tbsp Assam spice powder
- 1tbsp toasted chickpea flour
- 100ml passata
- 500ml hot water infused with 2 Assam tea bags
Method
Toast all the Assam spice powder spices and make a powder in a spice grinder.
Cut a crisscross pattern on the duck skin and rub in sea salt and Assam spice powder. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 190C/170C Fan/Gas 3 for 80 minutes, which will allow time for the fat to render. Remove all the fat and transfer to a separate pan or jar for future use.
Add all the vegetables and season lightly, if needed, in the pan with the duck and return the pan to the oven at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 for a further 45-50 minutes.
Remove the duck and the roasted vegetables from the pan and set aside. Add the chopped ginger and chillies into the roasting pan and sauté on the top of the stove. Add the Assam powder and chickpea flour and mix well. Add the passata and sauté for a further 2 minutes, then add the water infused with Assam tea. Bring to the boil, then taste and correct the seasoning. Strain the gravy and serve with the roasted duck and vegetables.
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