Royal Navy Roast Duck Buns

We were inspired by the menu on HMS Prince of Wales to create these roast duck buns.

1 hour prep

3 hours cook

Serves 4-6

Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

Roast duck:

6 duck legs

1 tbspfennel seeds

1 tspcinnamon

1/2 tbspblack pepper

1 tbspflaked sea salt

1 thumb, choppedginger

6 , choppedspring onion whites

6 , choppedgarlic cloves

a splash Shaoxing wine

a splash apple juice

6 brioche buns

to taste Japanese mayo

Peach hot sauce:

400 gtin peaches

1 , choppedScotch bonnet

2 , choppedshallots

1 clove, choppedgarlic

120 mlrice vinegar

2 tbspsugar

2 tbsphoney

a pinch salt

Crispy noodles:

6 nestsrice vermicelli

1 litresunflower oil

Fennel salad:

2 bulbs, slicedfennel

6 , slicedspring onion tops

2 tbspchives

2 tspsesame oil

1 tbspolive oil

1 tsprice vinegar

Roast duck in a sticky hoisin sauce, a fennel slaw, homemade peach hot sauce with sprigs of coriander and crunchy fried noodle nests. Yes please!

Method

To kick things off, heat the oven to 200°C. Find a deep sided baking tray. Crush the fennel seeds and mix with the other spices and salt then rub all over the duck legs. Place in the baking tray along with a good glug of the rice wine and apple juice, then bake for 20 minutes before turning down the oven for around an hour and half.

Meanwhile (or even the day before if you have time), make the hot sauce - chuck all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, then blend until very smooth and set aside. This will keep in the fridge for roughly a week or so.

Preheat a sturdy saucepan with the oil to 180°C. Tear the vermicelli nests into small palm sized clumps and deep fry - they should puff up instantly. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Mandolin the fennel into thin slices and mix with the sliced spring onions and chives. Whisk together the oils and vinegar and toss it all together.

Assemble the buns: toast them in a dry frying pan. On the bottom bun, start with a blob of mayonnaise. Shred the duck and place a good height of this on top, followed by a tangle of fennel and a nest of crispy fried noodles. Drizzle with the cooled peach hot sauce and top with a sprig of coriander and the top bun.