Tesco started stocking more than just whole ducks – whole legs, necks (for stock, I’m guessing), wings, and very rarely, breasts. I grabbed a bag of duck legs out of impulse, and after letting them sit in the freezer for a while, I searched the Internet again for ideas, and found this interesting recipe on SOS Cuisine.
I searched high and low at all the upmarket grocery stores for herbes de Provence, with no luck. It’s not easy to mix your own either, because you needs some exotic stuff like lavender and whatnot. Finally I found it at the most unexpected place possible – Tesco Online. It didn’t even cost much. Score!
This recipe was fairly easy to make, no need to make any special rubs, simple ingredients you can easily find at hypermarkets, and simple steps. Even if you couldn’t find the herbes de Provence, you can always sub with whatever herbs you have on hand, a mix of thyme, rosemary, basil, marjoram, oregano and tarragon.
Best of all, it is really delicious despite this simplicity, and can be a strong addition to your repertoire of dinner recipes. Give it a try!
Braised Duck Legs
Ingredients
- 1 kg (about 4) whole duck legs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1 stalk Chinese leek, 1/4 of dark green parts removed, coarsely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
- Chicken stock cube, enough to make 2 cups (500 ml) stock
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (fan 180 degrees C).
In a large skillet over medium heat, place the duck legs skin-side down and cook, until browned evenly, about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Flip to the legs over and sear the meat side, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the legs to a large plate.
Drain the duck fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Store the excess duck fat for other uses. Heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat.
Add the leeks, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan.
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the herbes de Provence and cook, stirring occassionally, until vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
Return the duck legs to the pan, placing them skin side up.
Add the chicken stock.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Transfer to the preheated oven and cook, 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 180 degrees C (fan 160 degrees C) and cook, until the meat is tender and the liquid is reduced, another 30 minutes.
Serve warm, with a side of crusty bread and roasted potatoes, if you like.
