How to make roast duck Thai red curry with lychees

Roasting meat like duck before it goes into a curry will give it a whole extra level of flavour. Elly McCausland’s “delicious duck curry” is inspired by her travels in Thailand.

“Pairing the dense, rich flesh of duck with the delicate perfume and soft spring of lychees is a luscious marriage (and one that I have experienced several times in Thailand), but even more so when the whole is draped in a sweet, spicy and deeply fragrant coconut cream,” she says.

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Nutrition Facts

Roast duck Thai red curry with lychees

Amount Per Serving

Calories 783 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Fat 49g75%

Saturated Fat 31g194%

Cholesterol 198mg66%

Sodium 3786mg165%

Potassium 752mg21%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 23g26%

Protein 52g104%

Vitamin A 1932IU39%

Vitamin C 93mg113%

Calcium 81mg8%

Iron 9mg50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Roast duck Thai red curry with lychees

A fragrant curry with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy

Cook Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings: 4

Calories: 783kcal

Author: Elly McCausland

Equipment

• Roasting tray
• Large frying pan or wok

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 6 banana shallots thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1 lemongrass stalk tough outer layers removed, very finely sliced
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, or frozen and thawed; avoid dried) finely shredded (tough centre stems discarded)
• 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 4 tsp light muscovado, palm or coconut sugar plus extra to taste if necessary
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 200 ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• A couple of large handfuls of spinach leaves
• Juice of 1/2 a lime, plus extra to taste if necessary, and wedges to serve
• Fish sauce or dark soy sauce to serve
• 400 g tinned lychees drained
• 30 g coriander leaves or small bunch of Thai basil roughly chopped for sprinkling

Method

• Rub the duck legs well with the salt and place them in a single layer in a shallow dish. If you have time, chill them in the fridge overnight, or for a few hours, uncovered. This will help you to get really crispy skin. If you don’t have time to refrigerate the duck legs, simply rub the salt into the duck legs when you are ready to cook.
• Pre-heat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas mark 6–7.
• Place the duck legs on a wire rack above an oven tray lined with foil, then place them in the oven and roast for 10 minutes to crisp the skin. Lower the oven temperature to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5, add a cupful of water or stock to the oven tray, then roast for 90 minutes, until the duck is tender and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, make the curry. Heat the coconut oil over a medium-high heat in a large frying pan or wok, then add the shallots and sauté them for five to 10 minutes, until golden and starting to soften. Add the garlic, lemongrass and lime leaves and cook for another couple of minutes until softened and aromatic.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add a couple of tablespoons of the coconut milk and the curry paste, sugar and turmeric, and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant – add a little more coconut milk if it starts to stick. This will help to release the aromatics in the paste and prevent the paste from burning.
• Add the stock and remaining coconut milk, then simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick, creamy and aromatic. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and spinach and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. Lower the heat, then add the lime juice. Taste and check the seasoning – you may want to add some fish or soy sauce to make it more salty, depending on the brands of curry paste and stock you use, and you may want to adjust the lime juice and sugar.
• Stir in the lychees to briefly heat through. Keep the sauce warm until the duck is ready.
• When the duck legs are ready, place one leg on each of four plates. Divide the sauce equally between the four plates, pouring it over the duck legs. Sprinkle with the Thai basil or coriander leaves. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and lime wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 783kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 3786mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1932IU | Vitamin C: 93mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 9mg

The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland, photography by Polly Webster, is published by Bloomsbury Absolute.

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