Five-spice duck legs with squash and pomegranate recipe

• Serves 6
• 10 mins to prepare and 1 hr 45 mins to cook
• 650 calories / serving

Ingredients

• 3 x 462g packs duck legs
• 2 tsp Chinese five-spice
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 large butternut squash (approx. 1.2kg), halved lengthways, cut into 6 wedges and deseesded
• 180g pack whole chestnuts
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 40g walnut pieces
• 30g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 80g pack pomegranate seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Remove any excess fat from the undersides of the duck legs and discard. Make 2-3 slashes in the tops of each leg's skin and rub with five-spice and salt flakes.
2. Place the duck legs on top of the squash in a roasting pan. Roast the squash for 15 minutes, then turn it and baste the legs. Return the tin to the oven with the chestnuts and cinnamon sticks. Reduce the heat to gas 6, 200 degrees Celsius, fan 180 degrees Celsius, and roast for 45 minutes.
3. Place the walnuts on a small baking dish in the oven on a low shelf. Toast for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Turn the squash and baste the duck legs once more. Reduce the temperature to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C, and roast for 40-45 minutes, or until the squash and leg flesh are cooked through and soft, and the duck skin is crisp.
5. Chop the walnuts and combine with the parsley and pomegranate seeds in a mixing dish; season. Remove the cinnamon sticks and spread the salsa over the squash (sliced into wedges), chesnuts, and duck legs.

Get ahead: Make the salsa ahead of time and keep it cold. 15 minutes before serving, remove the dish from the fridge.