A lot of people fear cooking duck which I think is kinda fair enough because it can be a little difficult to cook a good one. A shit one, dry and rubbery, is piss easy for anyone to put on the table, but that perfect duck takes a little more skills and smarts.

I’m here to help with that last bit.

Use a spit.

It’s simple. The spit enables the duck to baste itself (not a euphemism) as it basks in the warm glow of the coals, keeping it moist and encouraging it to be the best it can be as it gets ever more flavoursome as it goes along.

I don’t know what else to say except I have never had a bad result from this method of duck cookery. Oh, and the sauce is a cracker too. Use tinned stone fruit if it’s the wrong time of year for fresh – it still works plenty good.

SPIT ROASTED DUCK, STONE FRUIT SAUCE

1x whole duck, 2kg or so
Salt and pepper or a savoury BBQ rub, to season
A kettle barbecue or something similar set up with a spit attachment
Stone fruit sauce (recipe follows)

Fire up your briquettes or charcoal and get your barbecue humming around the 180 C (360 F) mark.
Season your duck all over with salt and pepper or BBQ rub. Allow to sit for 15 minutes for seasoning to adhear.
Prong duck through the guts with your spinny stick and get it going on the brrrm brrrm roundy round.
Cook duck for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, checking 2-3 times during the cooking process, or until the legs want to pull away from the body.
Remove duck from barbecue and rest for 10 minutes.
Carve, serve with stone fruit sauce and a few other things on the side.
Get in.

STONE FRUIT SAUCE

12 apricots or 5 peaches, halved
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup Riesling
¼ cup water
Olive oil for cooking
Salt and pepper to season

Heat a splash of oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and translucent.
Add stone fruit and cook out for a minute or two.
Deglaze with the wine and chuck the water and herbs in the pan too.
Simmer for 15 minutes or until fruit is soft, adding a splash or two of water if it needs a little moisture.
Remove bay leaves and blitz.
Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Get it on that duck.