Serve this dish on a bed of warm polenta. You can also shred the duck meat and add it to your favorite winter chopped salad. (Noel Barnhurst/TMS photo) |
I love duck — roasted, braised, preserved or sauteed. But cooking whole ducks is a bit of a mess. I have tried many different methods to combat the greasy aftermath, with mixed results. Then a friend served duck legs at a holiday party, and swore there was almost no greasy cleanup. I had to try it.
My friend was right. And a bonus is that cooking duck legs is so much easier than roasting a whole duck, because you don't have to carve it. Look for duck legs at Chinese markets or in your poultry section at the market. You may have to order them in advance, so check with your butcher.
The caramelized sweet garlic and shallots in this recipe are a perfect counterpoint to the crisp golden duck legs. Just make sure to drain the legs, because they do release a lot of fat. (And don't discard the fat; strain it and put it in a glass container and refrigerate. I use the duck fat to make amazing roast potatoes, as well as in my braised red cabbage.)
Serve the duck legs on a bed of warm polenta. You can also shred the meat and add it to your favorite winter chopped salad.
To drink, try a pinot noir from Oregon for a perfect pairing.
Roast duck legs with caramelized shallots and garlic
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
8 duck legs, about 1 pound each
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
16 large shallots, peeled
24 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the duck legs on a large rimmed baking sheet; prick them with a fork to help release the duck fat during cooking. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the shallots and garlic all around the pan.
2. Roast until all the fat has rendered and legs are very crisp and cooked through, 11/2 to 2 hours. Toss the garlic and shallots with tongs occasionally to cook evenly; watch carefully so they don't burn. When the shallots and garlic are very brown and cooked through (about 11/4 hours), remove them; drain on paper towels.
3. Drain duck legs on paper towels to soak up any remaining fat. Place them on a serving platter along with the shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 416 calories, 20 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 196 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 48 g protein, 342 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
My friend was right. And a bonus is that cooking duck legs is so much easier than roasting a whole duck, because you don't have to carve it. Look for duck legs at Chinese markets or in your poultry section at the market. You may have to order them in advance, so check with your butcher.
The caramelized sweet garlic and shallots in this recipe are a perfect counterpoint to the crisp golden duck legs. Just make sure to drain the legs, because they do release a lot of fat. (And don't discard the fat; strain it and put it in a glass container and refrigerate. I use the duck fat to make amazing roast potatoes, as well as in my braised red cabbage.)
Serve the duck legs on a bed of warm polenta. You can also shred the meat and add it to your favorite winter chopped salad.
To drink, try a pinot noir from Oregon for a perfect pairing.
Roast duck legs with caramelized shallots and garlic
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
8 duck legs, about 1 pound each
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
16 large shallots, peeled
24 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the duck legs on a large rimmed baking sheet; prick them with a fork to help release the duck fat during cooking. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the shallots and garlic all around the pan.
2. Roast until all the fat has rendered and legs are very crisp and cooked through, 11/2 to 2 hours. Toss the garlic and shallots with tongs occasionally to cook evenly; watch carefully so they don't burn. When the shallots and garlic are very brown and cooked through (about 11/4 hours), remove them; drain on paper towels.
3. Drain duck legs on paper towels to soak up any remaining fat. Place them on a serving platter along with the shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 416 calories, 20 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 196 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 48 g protein, 342 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
