Duck legs are perfect for slow cooking as low temperatures and long cooking times gently break down the tough connective tissue in the well-used muscles resulting in intensely flavoured, tender meat.
Method
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 4 duck legs
- salt
- 1l chicken stock
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 bulb of garlic
1
Preheat the oven to 160˚C/gas mark 3
2
Place a large frying pan over a high heat
3
Once the pan is hot, season the duck legs with salt and place them in the pan. Brown the legs until golden in colour
4
Remove the browned meat from the pan and set aside. Add 100ml of the stock to the pan, bring to the boil and use a wooden spoon to scrape any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan to deglaze it
5
Pour the contents of the pan into a braising pot or slow cooker and add the meat, the remaining chicken stock, garlic halves and thyme sprigs
6
Place in the oven to cook for 2– 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Top up the liquid if needed
7
When the meat is cooked, remove pot from the oven and leave the legs to cool in the liquid
Variations
Try using red or white wine in place of the stock, or add different herbs and spices to the braising liquid such as juniper or cloves. Reduce the braising liquid for a tasty, unctuous sauce.
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