INGREDIENTS
• 6 fresh duck legs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 glass red wine
• Duck fat
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons salt
Marinade
• 1 cup of orange juice
• 6 garlic cloves chopped
• Star anise
• Black peppercorns
• Peel from half an orange
• Teaspoon of ground
cinnamon
• 1 sprig of thyme
WHAT TO DO….
Wash the duck legs in cold water, rub salt and brown sugar into them and leave in the fridge for one hour. This will draw any blood from the bone and help to make the duck more succulent later on. After one hour, wash the salt and sugar off the duck and place in a bowl. I like to marinade the duck overnight covered in a mixture of red wine, orange juice, chopped garlic, star anise, black peppercorns, orange peel, cinnamon and thyme.
To make the confit, transfer the duck, along with the marinade, to a heavy bottomed pot. Cover with a mix of half duck fat (ask your butcher) half olive oil and the red wine. Cover with foil, place the pot in the oven and cook at 150˚C (gas mark 2) for three hours. Cool in the oven overnight.
The duck will keep in its cooking liquor and fat for two weeks in the fridge if covered.
To serve the duck, remove the legs from the fat and warm through in a hot oven (200˚C or gas mark 6) until the duck starts to take on a golden colour and looks nice and crisp (about 30 minutes).
I like to serve over a smooth mash potato with a plum and chorizo glaze and garlic fried sugarsnap peas. For Danny’s perfect mash & plum and chorizo glaze see ‘Danny’s Cookbook’)
