Duck legs braised with Seville oranges
By Good Food
This spin on classic roast duck in orange sauce uses the more intense Seville variety to braise the meat
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Prep:20 mins
Cook:2 hrs 20 mins
- Serves 4
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 456
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fat 30g
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saturates 9g
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carbs 10g
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sugars 9g
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fibre 3g
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protein 34g
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salt 0.7g
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- 1 tbsp mild olive oil
- 2 Seville oranges, washed and cut into slices
- 12 shallots, 8 left whole, the remainder chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
- 50ml dry white wine
- 1 large thyme sprig
- 1 small rosemary sprig
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 200ml chicken stock
- 25g butter
- pinch caster sugar
- roast parsnips and steamed kale, to serve
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Season the duck legs on both sides. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan set over a medium heat. Place the legs in the pan, skin-side down, and fry until well browned. Turn them over and brown the flesh side. Remove the pan from the heat and pour away most of the fat. Lay the orange slices in the bottom of a ceramic baking dish and top with the duck legs.
Return the pan to the heat. Add the chopped shallots, celery and carrot, and fry, stirring, for 4 mins to allow the vegetables to brown a little. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 mins. Add the herbs, garlic and chicken stock, mix everything together, then pour over the duck legs. Tuck the vegetable pieces in between the legs so they are submerged in the liquid. Add just enough water to almost cover the legs, then cook in the oven for 1 hr.
Meanwhile, add half the butter to a frying pan set over a medium heat. Add the whole shallots and brown all over. After the duck has been in the oven for 1 hr, add the browned shallots and cook for a further 30 mins until tender. Remove the dish from the oven and transfer the legs to a baking tray. Lift out the whole shallots and put to one side. Strain the cooking liquid into a jug and skim off any fat or vegetable debris that comes to the surface.
Increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the duck legs back in the oven and let them crisp for 10 mins while you finish the sauce. Boil the liquid in a large pan and reduce until you have about 300ml, then season to taste and add sugar, if necessary. Finally, add the remaining butter and stir to melt, before returning the shallots to the pan and gently reheating. Serve the legs on a bed of buttered kale, drizzling the light sauce around it, with roast parsnips on the side.
