Braised duck legs served alongside sweet roasted potatoes and a zesty salad make a delicious and colourful dinner. The legs sit in a citrusy marinade with garlic, fennel and honey and are then slow cooked in oven with chicken stock and aromatics.
The Flavour Affair:
Duck + Citrus + Fennel + Shallots + Thyme
This combination of savory, sweet and tangy is a perfect accompaniment for the slightly gamey duck meat. Thyme, shallots and garlic accentuate the savory notes while orange and fennel add a bright contrast.
Duck: duck legs are perfect for slow cooking. You can use either fresh or frozen.
Citrus: you can use a combination of different citrus for different components of the meal. For the marinade, a combination of lemon and orange juice creates a milder, less acidic taste. In the salad, grapefruit adds a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness of orange and fennel.
Fennel: likewise, you can use fennel seeds in the marinate and braising liquid and fresh fennel bulb in the salad. Apart from a more prominent licoricey flavour, fresh fennel adds a nice crunch.
Shallots: any type will do. Shallots offer a nice hybrid between onions and garlic and are often used in recipes in place of both.
Thyme: you can use either fresh or dried thyme. Fresh thyme has a more prominent aroma while dried thyme offers a more concentrated flavour.
Other ingredients include red wine vinegar which helps to tenderize the duck meat, black peppercorns for a hint of heat, and a little honey or maple syrup to balance the savory components.
Preparation tip for braising duck legs:
- If using frozen duck, allow it a day or two to thaw in the fridge.
- Marinate the duck for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Make sure you have an oil splatter shield. Duck legs will have some marinate left on them which will create splatter when they come in contact with oil.
- If time allows, it is always advisable to braise meat on lower heat for longer times – that helps to ensure a tender, succulent outcome.
Serving suggestions:
Sweet roasted potatoes sprinkled with a little dried thyme or rosemary are a fantastic pairing to duck. Simply slice the potatoes into thin circles, sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and dried herbs and pan fry or roast in oven until tender.
To balance the heaviness of braised meat and the filling potatoes, serve alongside a light salad with fresh grapefruit and orange, shaved fennel, sliced red onions and salad greens under a simple citrus vinaigrette.
Braised Duck Legs with Sweet Potatoes and Citrus Salad
Equipment
- 1 large iron cast skillet
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 4 cloves of garlic smashed
For the duck:
- 4 duck legs
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 shallots sliced
- 4-6 cloves of garlic smashed
Instructions
- Lightly pound the fennel seeds to release the flavor. Combine all marinade ingredients together, place duck legs into a large ziplock, pour in the marinade and leave in the fridge for a minimum of one hour or overnight.
- Heat a large skillet to medium. Shake the excess marinade off the duck legs and sear them skin down for 2-3 minutes until browned, then turn and sear on the other side. Transfer to a plate and remove the fat, leaving just about two table spoons in the skillet.
- Add shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, then return the duck legs to the skillet, pour in the chicken stock and half of the marinade. The legs should be covered by 1/2.
- Place the skillet back into the pre-heated oven at 160C for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender.
- Serve with roasted or fried sweet potatoes and a zesty salad with orange and fennel in a simple citrus vinaigrette.
