Sauerkraut-stuffed duck with roast apples and mulled wine gravy

Method

1. Begin by making a mulled spice rub for the duck. Grind the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and nutmeg into a fine(ish) powder using a pestle and mortar (or spice grinder if you have one). Then stir in the sugar, orange zest and salt.
2. Remove any packaging from the duck and – if it has them – set the giblets aside in the fridge for the gravy. Put the bird in a roasting tray and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Prick the skin all over with a pin or small sharp knife, particularly in any extra fatty areas you spot (often around the legs). This helps the fat render out while it cooks so you end up with nice crispy skin. Massage the spice rub into the skin all over the duck. Drain the sauerkraut, give it a squeeze to remove excess liquid and stuff in the cavity of the duck. For the best results, leave the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry the skin out and let the flavour of the rub sink in.
3. Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6 and take the duck out of the fridge. Once the oven is up to temperature, roast the duck for 40 minutes. Score the apples around their circumference, about two thirds of the way up. Add the apples to the tray next to the duck and roast everything for a further 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the bird rest for 20 minutes.
4. While the duck rests, make the gravy. Heat a frying pan then, then gently fry the shallot, garlic and (if using) roughly chopped giblets with a dash of oil until caramelised. Add the sage, whole spices, red wine and orange juice, bring to a simmer, then bubble until reduced by roughly half. Carefully pour the resting juices from the duck roasting tray into a jug; you want 250-300ml so if there isn’t that much, top it up with chicken stock. Skim off the layer of fat at the top, then pour the into the wine mixture and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, back into the jug. Return the frying pan to the heat, add the butter then, once melted, add the flour. Stir to create a roux, then slowly add the sauce, whisking, to create a silky gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the duck, potatoes, gravy and your chosen veg at the table, or carve and plate up, making sure everyone gets an apple and some sauerkraut.