Duck

Slow Roast Duck Legs with a Red Wine Sauce

I made this as an alternative to a traditional Sunday roast. It is ridiculously simple and super tasty! I served it with roast potatoes, however you could have puy lentils as a very delicious healthy alternative.

Serves 4

4 Duck Legs

Chinese Five Spice

Bunch of Rosemary Sprigs

6 Fat Garlic Cloves

Half Bottle Red Wine

1-2 tbsp Redcurrant Jelly

Malden Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 170C

Place the garlic cloves and the rosemary in a layer at the bottom of a roasting tin.

Set the Duck Legs on top and sprinkle with s fine layer of Chinese five spice and salt.

Roast in the oven for one hour and fifteen minutes.

Whilst the Duck is in the oven, bring the wine and jelly to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the jelly. Continue to simmer for another five minutes.

Once the Duck has been in for an hour and fifteen minutes, spoon off most of the fat and keep it for another time for roast potatoes.

Now add the red wine mixture and cook for a further 10-15 minutes to reduce.

Serve with veg of choice and some crispy roasties!

Twice Cooked Duck with a Honey Glaze

I decided to do this as a change for Sunday lunch. I have to say it was amazingly tasty and due to being cooked slowly in the liquid, the duck picks up all the flavour.

Serve with steamed rice and steamed pak choi and drizzle with the reduced liquid.

Serves 6

The Duck
6 Duck Legs
6 Garlic Cloves, crushed
5cm Ginger, sliced
1 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
100ml Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
50 ml Shaoshing Rice Wine

The Glaze
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder

The day before you plan to eat, place all of the ingredients for the duck into pan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until really tender. These duck legs are ideal to cook in a slow cooker, for this method, four hours would be ideal.

Once it is done, remove the duck legs from the liquid. Cool, then chill in the fridge uncovered.

Chill the liquid in the fridge too.

The following day, remove all the fat from the liquid.

Pour 400ml of the liquid into a pan and simmer rapidly to reduce by 1/3 with a rich intense flavour. You could add some finely sliced red chilli to the liquid.

You can keep and freeze the remainder of the liquid for poaching meat or chicken.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 200c for a fan oven.

In order to make the glaze, add the honey, five spice and 1 tbsp of the reduced stock. Place the legs on a baking tray, skin side up. Brush the glaze all over the duck legs and roast in the oven for 25 mins.

Serve in a nice bowl with the rice and pak choi.