• 1 medium duck
• 2 red onions, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1 medium leek, cut into 1 cm(½ in) rings and washed well
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1 cm(½ in) cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup coarsely grated fresh ginger
• 6 whole star anise
• 1 bayleaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 400 ml(13 ⅔ fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk
• 250 ml(8 fl oz) water or chicken stock
• fresh coriander to serve

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Joint duck into two legs and two breasts, then cut each piece in half again.

Heat a heavy frying pan and brown meat all over without adding any oil. The duck should be fatty enough so it won’t need any. Brown only as many pieces that will fit in comfortably at one time. Remove pieces to a plate when they’re ready.

Keeping rendered fat in the frying pan, add onions and leek and fry on a high heat, stirring often, until onions begin to colour. Put them into the bottom of a large casserole dish with carrot, garlic, ginger, star anise and bayleaf. Lay duck on top and sprinkle with salt. In the same frying pan, bring coconut milk and water to the boil, then pour over the duck. (If liquid doesn’t cover meat, add more hot water.)

Cover the dish and cook 2 hours, then remove lid and cook a further 20 minutes. Serve this with fragrant rice topped with lots of fresh coriander.