Duck Cigars from Castlerose

The supper club Castlerose is where moody elegance meets modern indulgence. Their Duck Cigars are rich, refined, and wrapped in golden comfort, best enjoyed with bubbles in hand and good company. 

Ingredients 

• 4 duck legs 
• 1 packet of spring roll pastry 
• ½ cup duck fat 

For the brine: 

• 2 pinches of salt 
• 1 pinch of sugar 
• Zest of ¼ orange 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 1 pinch of cinnamon 
• 1 pinch of clove 
• ½ star anise 
• 1 pinch of fennel seed 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 sprig of rosemary 
• 1 sprig of thyme 

Method 

• In a deep pan, fully submerge the duck legs in water. 
• Add all of the brine ingredients to the water. 
• Leave the duck legs submerged for 12 hours or overnight. 
• Rinse the duck legs under clean tap water and pat dry with paper towel. 
• Let the legs sit for another hour to dry completely. 
• Sous vide the duck legs in duck fat at 70°C for 10 hours.* 
• Shred the duck with a fork and roll into small balls, depending on the size you prefer. 
• Roll the duck balls into a rough cigar shape and length. 
• Wrap with spring roll pastry in the shape of a cigar. 

*If you don’t have a sous vide machine, here is a DIY guide for an at-home version: 

• Place the duck legs and fat in a freezer-safe bag, leaving some space at the top. 
• Seal the bag almost all the way, leaving a small opening, then submerge it in a pot of water. As the bag goes underwater, the water pressure will push out the air, allowing you to seal the bag completely. 
• Heat the water to 70°C using a thermometer – the temperature will need to be closely monitored. 
• After 10 hours, remove the bag from the water bath. 

 Castlerose 

67 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne