Method

• 1.
  Remove breasts and legs from the duck, reserving the carcass, and lightly score the fat. Set aside until ready to use.
• 2.
  To make the duck sauce, preheat oven to 220°C. Cut duck carcass into 3 pieces and place in a roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and drain off the fat and juices into a large stock pot. Add vegetables and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until caramelised. Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes, then add tomato paste, half the thyme, star anise, bay leaves, duck carcass,stock and 6 cups (1.5L) water to cover the bones. Bring to the boil and gently cook for 4 hours, topping up with water to keep bones covered. Strain, discarding solids, into a clean saucepan over high heat and simmer rapidly for 1 hour until thick and reduced to about 200ml. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until needed.
• 3.
  Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, crush garlic, remaining thyme, rock salt and French 4 spice together to form a paste. Rub over the duck legs and place in the fridge overnight to marinade.
• 4.
  Wipe away salt paste and place duck legs in a saucepan with the duck fat over low heat. Bring fat to around 90°C and gently cook for 3 hours-3 hours 30 minutes until meat is very tender. (Alternatively, preheat oven to 180°C and cook duck legs in a small roasting pan for 3 hours or until meat is very tender.) Leave legs in the fat until ready to serve.
• 5.
  Preheat oven to 160°C. Place duck breast, skin-side down, in an ovenproof frypan over medium heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until skin is golden. Transfer to oven for 4 minutes or until medium- rare. Rest for 4 minutes, then slice.
• 6.
  Meanwhile, in another pan over low heat, place confit duck legs, skin-side down, and cook for 6 minutes or until skin is crisp and deep golden. Remove duck from pan and using a sharp knife scrape any meat and skin off the tip of the bone.
• 7.
  Arrange on a plate with the sliced breast. Warm the duck sauce and spoon over duck pieces. Serve with watercress and French fries.