{
  "id": 745198,
  "title": "WHAT’S COOKING: Rotisserie duck with rhubarb and cherries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/whats-cooking-rotisserie-duck-with-rhubarb-and-cherries",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-13T08:08:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-13-rotisserie-duck-with-rhubarb-and-cherries/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "I spotted a whole duck at my local Woolies branch in Cape Town's CBD, eager to cook it on the rotisserie. Many chefs insist that duck must be served medium rare, but I disagree. Medium rare is fine, but a perfectly medium rare duck is a delight to the taste buds. Duck can be cooked well done too, like in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Romania. In France, techniques allow for well-done duck as well, such as confit legs.\n\nHowever, unlike a chicken, you cannot simply cook a whole duck after seasoning. It requires numerous pricks to allow fat to drip into a tray below. This prevents a messy oven. At the Gardens Centre branch of Woolies, I also found fresh rhubarb and cherries, which became a sweet-and-sour sauce. The sauce includes chicken stock, Frangelico, Port, and shiraz conserve.\n\nFor the duck, I used only salt as seasoning, as duck doesn't need much. I pricked the duck thoroughly with a skewer, focusing on fatty parts. After salting the skin, I placed the duck on a rotisserie rod and cooked it in a 180°C oven or air fryer for an hour. If the skin isn't crisp enough, return it to the oven at 200°C for 5 minutes. Rest the bird for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, make the rhubarb-cherry relish and serve it alongside the duck.",
  "summary": "When I spied a whole duck at my old Woolies branch in the Cape Town CBD, I knew it was headed for the rotisserie.",
  "key_points": [
    "Whole duck purchased at Woolies in Cape Town",
    "Rhubarb and cherries used for sweet-and-sour sauce",
    "Duck cooked medium rare to well done with salt seasoning"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Using a rotisserie for duck allows for even cooking and crispy skin, and pairing it with a sweet-and-sour rhubarb and cherry sauce offers a unique twist on traditional duck dishes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}