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Wild Duck Indulgence

Roast duck with orange sauce paired with red cocktail served over ice with citrus garnish.

There are dishes that demand attention…
and then there are dishes that deserve respect.

Roast wild duck, wrapped in smoked bacon, resting in a rich orange sauce — this is not casual dining. It is layered, indulgent, and unapologetically bold. The fat, the smoke, the citrus… each element carries weight.

And with weight, comes responsibility in the glass.

A Conrad Sloe Gin Negroni meets that challenge with quiet confidence.

The dark fruit of the sloe softens the bitterness, while the structure of the Negroni holds firm against the richness of the duck. The citrus in the orange sauce finds harmony in the gin’s subtle acidity, while the bitterness cuts cleanly through the smoked bacon, resetting the palate with precision.

It doesn’t compete to elevates.

Recipe: Roast Wild Duck with Smoked Bacon Savoy Cabbage and Orange Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 whole wild duck (mallard), oven ready
  • 100 g smoked streaky bacon
  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 1 whole savoy cabbage, sliced
  • 50 g lardoons
  • 75 g butter
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 250 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 75 g sugar
  • 1 tbsp corn flour

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.
  2. Wrap the duck with bacon. Add olive oil to a large pan and heat on the hob on high heat until hot but not smoking; add the duck and, using tongs, sear on all sides until golden brown. Remove from heat.
  3. Place the duck in a large roasting tray and roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, basting occasionally. After 25 minutes, remove the duck and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Separate the legs and remove the breast filets from the carcass.
  4. To serve: place the cabbage and bacon on the centre of two large plates. Place one leg and one breast filet on top before drizzling with orange sauce. Pour yourself a hearty helping of sloe gin to go with.
  5. To make the garnish: In a saucepan, add the butter over medium-low heat and melt gently. Add the bacon and cook slowly. Add the sliced cabbage and cook until the moisture has sweated off. Season with salt and pepper to taste before covering with greaseproof paper. Cook slowly until the cabbage is tender, removing the paper to stir from time to time.
  6. To make the orange sauce: in a saucepan, mix all the dry ingredients. Pour in the orange juice and then, over low heat, whisk until all ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a boil. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and season to taste.
  7. place the cabbage and bacon on the centre of two large plates. Place one leg and one breast filet on top before drizzling with orange sauce. 
  8. Enjoy

Serve It Conrad Sloe Gin Negroni

The sloe softens the edges, bringing a roundness that classic Negronis don’t carry.

It’s richer.
Deeper.
More composed.

Ingredients

  • 30ml Conrad Sloe Gin
  • 30ml Sweet Vermouth
  • 30ml Campari (or Italian bitter)

Method

  1. Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir slowly for 20–30 seconds until chilled and diluted.
  3. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.

Garnish

  • Orange peel (express oils over the glass, then rest on top)

Twist to Add a little more Zest

Add a 5ml orange liqueur or a drop of orange bitters.
It will lift the citrus and tie directly into the sauce.

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