Honey-and-ginger-braised pork belly and confit duck leg, with caramelized orange, kumara fondant, chilli and lime syrup, and red onion and fennel salad. Note that the duck should mar inate for 48 hours before cooking.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

3 sprigs rosemary 2 large red kumara
3 sprigs thyme 250 ml chicken stock
1 head garlic, lightly crushed 1 bunch thyme
5 tbsp flaky sea salt   250 g unsalted butter
½ tbsp black pepper  salt and pepper
1 cinnamon quill  
3 star anise 
3 bay leaves  
reserved braising liquid from pork belly
3 lime leaves  reserved liquid from sweet and sour oranges 
3 juniper berries red onio n and fennel salad
¼ cup sugar   
4 duck legs     
1 litre rendered duck fat  
1 kg heritage breed saddleback
(or best-quality) pork belly
olive oil  
sea salt  
black pepper  
1 head garlic, skin on  
1 bunch thyme  
2½ cups white wine  
250 g manuka honey  
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated  
½ tbsp red chilli, finely chopped  
½ cup onion, celery and carrot, roughly chopped  


  1. In a tray large enough to hold the duck legs in a single layer, scatter half the rosemary, thyme and garlic. In a blender pulse the sea salt, pepper, cinnamon quill, star anise, bay leaves, lime leaves, juniper berries and sugar for 5 seconds. Rub the mixture over both sides of the duck legs and lay them over the herbs and garlic, skin side down, then sprinkle over the remaining herbs and garlic.
  2. Wrap the tray tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours. Preheat the oven to 140°C and pour the melted duck fat into a suitably deep tray. Brush the salt and herbs of the legs and lay the legs in a single layer in the tray.
  3. Cover and cook for approximately 3 hours. Remove the legs and strain the fat. Put the duck legs into a container and cover with the strained fat. Cool and store.
  4. To serve, remove the legs carefully from the fat. Add 2 tbsp duck fat to a pan and cook the legs over a medium heat. Cook for 4–5 minutes, browning the skin well, then turn and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Score the skin of the pork belly, rub with oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together all remaining ingredients and pour into an oven dish.
  2. Place the pork belly on top, cover and cook for 11/2 hours. Remove the cover and cook a further 30 minutes or until the meat is fork tender.
  3. Transfer the belly to a smaller tray lined with baking paper; this needs to be one-third smaller than the belly. Cover the belly with baking paper, place another tray the same size on top with a heavy weight on top.
  4. Allow to cool in the refrigerator overnight then remove from the tray and portion. Strain the cooking liquid to use in the chilli and lime syrup.
  1. Cut the peeled kumara into 4 cm rounds with a cookie cutter, place in a pan with the chicken stock and thyme and simmer until almost cooked, then remove from the pan. Melt the butter until foaming, add the fondants and continue cooking until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.
  1. Bring the reserved pork liquor to the boil and add a small amount of the orange syrup. Taste and reduce to a coating consistency.
This dish presents well on either a large round plate or a long board. Place the duck at one end and the pork belly at the other with the fondants in the centre. Dress the components with salad and the chilli syrup and garnish with oranges.

The Perfect Dish to enjoy with
A CRISP Radler Bier