Marinated duck leg in anise, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper with pumpkin purée with curry and coconut milk

Recipe for 6 servings:

• Duck leg – 6 pcs. (approx. 1 800 g total)
• Salt – 12 g
• Cane sugar – 6 g
• Star anise – 3 g (about 2 pieces)
• Cinnamon stick – 2 g
• Sichuan pepper – 2 g
• Whole clove – 1 g
• Light soy sauce – 40 g
• Cooking oil – 30 g
• Garlic – 12 g (about 3 cloves)
• Fresh ginger – 15 g
• Fresh orange juice – 60 g
• Orange peel – 3 g
• Water – 100 g

Pumpkin purée with yellow curry and coconut milk

• Hokkaido pumpkin (peeled, seedless) – 900 g
• Coconut milk (full fat, 17-20%) – 200 g
• Thai yellow curry paste – 20 g
• Butter – 40 g
• Salt – 5 g
• Sugar – 5 g
• Lime juice – 10 g

Method of preparation:

Marinating the duck:

Clean the legs, dry them. Grind the aniseed, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon in a mortar. Mix the spices with salt, sugar, grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, oil, orange juice and zest. Rub the legs with the marinade, transfer to a dish, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (preferably 18-24 hrs).

Baking:

Put the legs into an ovenproof dish, add water and cover with aluminium foil. Bake at 160 °C for about 1.5-2 hours, until the meat is tender and comes away from the bone. Then increase the temperature to 200 °C and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes for crispy skin.

Pumpkin purée with curry:

Peel, dice, and roast the pumpkin in the oven at 180 °C for about 25-30 minutes until soft (you can also steam it). In a saucepan, heat the butter, add the yellow curry paste and gently toast to release the aroma. Add the roasted pumpkin, coconut milk, salt, sugar and cook for a few minutes until the flavours combine. Blend to a smooth purée, season with lime juice to taste. If necessary, press through a sieve for a perfectly creamy texture.

The dish can be served in a deep plate or in a small, hollowed-out pumpkin.