Duck Legs in Red Wine Sauce

 

I absolutely adore the taste of duck, yet I don’t seem to cook with it half as much as I’d like and have no idea why. It’s a very succulent tasting poultry choice, yet most people (myself included) seem to wait until they’re in a Chinese restaurant and order the ‘crispy duck and pancakes’ to enjoy it. 

Cooking with it is very straight forward though. The skin is very fatty and therefore doesn’t require any oils to cook with it. I would say the only hard decision you have to make is what to put with it, because you do need some kind of fruit-based, sweet accompaniment to cut the richness of the duck. 

In this case I’ve suggested redcurrant jelly, however blackcurrant works just as well, or if you don’t want to make your own sauce, a shop-bought Hoisin works too.

I hope you enjoy this very straightforward, and very delicious dish. 

 

2 Duck Legs
2 tablespoons Thai-7 Spice
4-5 Sprigs of Rosemary
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

300ml Red Wine
2 tablespoons Redcurrant Jelly
1 Bay Leaf

Serve With:  New Potatoes & Baby Spinach/Fresh Salad

 

Serves 2   |   90 Minutes  |  5 Minutes Prep

Pre-heat the oven to 160C (fan-assisted) or 180C (conventional). 

With a sharp knife lightly score the skin of the duck legs and add the thai 7-spice with the seasoning and rub in well. 

Elevate the duck legs onto a grill tray so that they are suspended above the roasting tin, which will allow the fat to drop off underneath. Add the rosemary sprigs on top of the duck, as well as underneath it. 

Place in the oven for 90 minutes. 

With 20 minutes remaining, place the red wine, redcurrant jelly and bay leaf into a medium-sized pan on a medium heat. Allow the sauce to gently simmer and keep an eye on it. It should reduce to a sticky texture. 

Once it has reached the required texture, remove the bay leaf and pour into a jug for serving.