Rotisserie whole duck with soy and star anise

Directions

1. Place the star anise and soy sauce into a small bowl and leave to infuse overnight. Strain the soy sauce (discarding the star anise) and whisk in the rice bran oil. Set aside.

2. Ignite the FUSION™, HUB™ or HUB™II Grill as per the instructions. Prepare an even layer of charcoal long enough and wide enough to accommodate the size of the duck.

3. Place one fork onto the rotisserie shaft and place the duck (neck end first) into place. Fill the chest cavity of the duck with alternate layers of sliced lemon, oranges and lemon thyme. Secure using the second clip lock forks and position it into the centre of the shaft. Place onto the FUSION™, HUB™ or HUB™II at the highest position and turn the rotisserie power on. Insert a thermometer probe into the centre of one breast of the duck. Keeping an even amount of charcoal underneath, cook until the temperature of the breast reads 60°C (140°F), basting all sides every 5 minutes.

4. Move the charcoal away from the breast side and make a mound of hot charcoal underneath the legs (now changing the thermometer probe into the thickest part of a leg). Continue to cook until the temperature of the leg reads 79°C (174°F).
5. To crisp up the skin further, stack up the charcoal with a metal shovel (tapping to remove a layer of white ash), move the duck to a lower position, closer to the heat and allow to turn for several minutes, until the skin is crispy.
6. Remove the duck and leave to rest (covered in aluminium foil) for 30 minutes.

7. A note on Brining: The brining of food helps heighten their flavour and ensures they remain moist throughout the cooking process. Whole birds or sections need to be completely submerged in a solution of cold water, salt as well as spices and herbs, then refrigerated. A low-level brining solution would require 6g (0.21 oz) of salt to every 100g (3.53 oz) of water. Whisk the salt with the water until it dissolves or heat the solution and leave to cool before using. Place the bird into the cold solution and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a large container of cold water and soak for 1 hour, changing the water every 15 minutes. Remove and pat dry very well using kitchen paper. Poultry with wet skin will not brown and go crisp. The salt concentration and time will depend on what you are cooking.