Celebrate the final days of winter and warm up your home with Rosa Matto's irresistibly aromatic duck rendang.

Recipe Rosa Matto | Photograph Brendan Homan | Styling Natalie Homan

4 duck marylands, halved through the joint
8-10 dried long red chillies, soaked in hot water for 30 mins
3 shallots, coarsely chopped
50g ginger, coarsely chopped
25g galangal, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks (white part only), coarsely chopped (green ends reserved)
4 kaffir lime leaves, plus extra 2, left whole
8g fresh turmeric, coarsely chopped
8g roasted shrimp paste
60ml coconut oil
500ml coconut milk
4 star anise
3 tsp finely grated palm sugar, or to taste
2 cucumbers, cut diagonally and pickled for 1 hour in juice of half a lime and 1
teaspoon each salt and sugar

Heat a dry frypan to hot and add duck skin-side down and fry until fat renders and skin is golden brown. Set aside, reserving fat in pan. For curry paste, drain and chop chillies, then combine with shallots, ginger, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, 4 kaffir leaves, turmeric, shrimp paste and oil in a small food processor or blender and process to a coarse paste. Heat rendered duck fat over medium heat, add curry paste and fry for 8-10 minutes, taking care not to burn it. Add coconut milk and 1 cup water, bring to a simmer over high heat, then add duck, lemongrass ends, extra kaffir leaves and star anise and bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low and simmer until duck is tender and sauce is thick, about one and half hours; add small amounts of water as necessary. Add palm sugar and stir until dissolved (1-2 minutes). Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, drizzle of coconut milk, lime cheeks, lime juice and serve curry with steamed rice, cooling cucumber raita and lightly pickled cucumber.

Cucumber raita

Peel, remove the seeds and grate 1 continental cucumber into 250g natural yoghurt. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin powder and salt.