When we lived in France one of our favourite easy meals was confit of duck legs with a pile of garlicy sautes and a big green salad. You would find ready prepared confit in every market, either vacuum packed or in jars, or in an emergency in tins from the supermarket where they would invariably be on special offer. Now we are back in Somerset this is not a treat I can get hold of easily but I have found that if I slow roast duck legs for a couple of hours the resulting meat is almost as meltingly tender as confit and the skin is as crisp as shattered glass. Duck legs tend to be much cheaper than breast and to my mind have a better flavour and are much more forgiving to cook. Teamed with a pile of spiced red cabbage, which incidentally can be made a day ahead if this suits you, this makes a perfect weekend supper to share with friends.
- 4 duck legs
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 large red onion
- 1 medium red cabbage
- 100 g cranberries fresh, frozen or dried
- 3 cm chunk root ginger
- 1 red apple
- 1 cinnamon stick broken in half
- 3 tbsp demerara sugar
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 600 g small new potatoes
- Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/Gas 3. Put the duck legs in a large roasting tin and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and the five spice powder. Put in the oven to roast for 2 hours.
- Prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the red onion. Finely shred the red cabbage. Grate the ginger and chop the apple. When the duck has been cooking for 1 hour, spoon about 3 tbsp of the fat off into a large heavy based pan.
- Reheat the duck fat, add the onion and cabbage and cook briskly, stirring for a few mins until the onion and cabbage have started to soften. Add the cranberries, ginger, apple and cinnamon stick and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and add the sugar and vinegar.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and cook gently for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. if the liquid starts to dry out add a splash of water.
- When the duck has been cooking for 11/4 hours add the potatoes to the roasting pan and stir well to coat in the duck fat. Return the duck and potatoes to the oven for 45 mins.If there is too much fat in the pan spoon some off into a bowl to use another time for roasties. It will keep in a jar in the fridge for weeks.
- When the duck and potatoes are tender reheat the cabbage. Spoon someonto four warmed plates and top each with a duck leg. Add the potatoes around the cabbage and serve. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley if you have it.
