A filling, Winter dish from chef and cookery writer Mary Cadogan.
This is one of my favourite ways to serve duck legs.
It’s a simple, easy to make dish, full of earthy, natural flavours that just needs a jacket spud or some creamy mash for a complete and tasty meal.
SLOW-ROASTED DUCK LEGS WITH BRAISED LENTILS
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
6 duck legs
salt and pepper to taste
350 g puy lentils
bouquet garni
2 medium onions, 1 quartered and 1 chopped
2 sticks celery
750 g carrots
100 g rindless streaky bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150 ml white wine
chopped parsley
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
Place the duck legs in a large roasting tin, season with salt and pepper then roast for 1-1 ¼ hours, until the duck is tender.
Meanwhile, rinse the lentils and put in a medium sized saucepan with the bouquet garni, quartered onion, 1 carrot, quartered, 1 stick of celery, halved.
Pour in enough water to cover and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.
While the lentils and duck are cooking prepare the remaining vegetables.
Dice one carrot and diagonally slice the rest. Chop the remaining onion and stick of celery.
When the lentils are ready, drain and remove and discard the vegetables and bouquet garni. Set aside.
When the duck is tender, remove the tin from the oven and spoon off most of the fat, reserving it for later.
Add the sliced carrots to the duck and toss to coat in the fat still in the tin and return to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes until the carrots are lightly browned and the duck is very tender.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the duck fat in a pan and fry the bacon until lightly coloured.
Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook until the onion starts to colour. Stir in the garlic, wine and lentils and season to taste.
Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the parsley and serve with the duck and carrots.
