Roasted Duck with Tropical Fruits

Ingredients

• 1 duck (pre‑cooked, about 3 kg)
• Salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 Mango
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 100 g fresh wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 sprigs Mint
• 1 sprig basil
• 1 sprig sage
• 1 untreated lemon (cut into wedges)
• 2 tbsp clarified butter (for the roasting pan)
• 1 untreated orange (sliced)
• 250 g canned pineapple chunks

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) with upper and lower heat. Wash the duck, pat dry, season inside and out with salt and pepper. Trim the lemongrass and slice into thin rings. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Wash the chili, halve lengthwise, deseed, and finely chop. Peel the mango, cut the flesh from the pit into small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and sauté ginger and lemongrass for 2 minutes.

2. 2.

   Add onion, garlic, and chili; simmer for another 4 minutes until the onion is soft. Remove from heat and mix with the remaining filling ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Pack only the neck cavity of the duck with the mixture, cover with a bit of skin, and sew shut. The leftover filling can be shaped into balls and roasted alongside the duck for 20 minutes. Wash the herbs, shake dry, and tuck them with lemon wedges into the duck’s belly cavity. Place the duck breast‑side down in a greased roasting pan, drizzle with a little water, and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes.

3. 3.

   Flip the duck and roast for an additional 45–60 minutes, basting periodically with the pan juices. Check doneness by piercing the thickest part with a needle; clear juice indicates readiness. Remove the duck from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and rest for about 15 minutes. Serve garnished with orange slices, pineapple chunks, and fresh herbs as desired.