Star anise & citrus marinade with duck

Place all marinade ingredients in a small pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

Place duck breasts in a shallow dish, pour over half the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat barbecue grill or a chargrill until hot and preheat the oven to 170°C. Remove duck breasts from marinade and place, skin side down, on a slightly cooler part of the barbecue or chargrill. Cook for 6-8 minutes, being careful that they don’t burn, then transfer to a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 8 minutes, until medium-rare. Remove from oven, rest for 5 minutes, then slice and arrange on serving plates. Pour over remaining marinade and serve with a dollop of chutney and fennel and asparagus salad.

To make the salad Put asparagus, fennel, oranges and red onion in a bowl, mix in mayonnaise and season to taste.

From Taste magazine, November 2011.