Braised duck leg, sweet young peas, lettuce, bacon and mint
Because of its rich flavour, duck is often regarded as one of the fattier meats. However, while that may be true of the succulent skin and breast, duck leg offers a much leaner meat that is still rich in protein. Duck leg lends itself well to slow-cooking, braising or confiting, until the meat is tender and falls off the bone with the slightest of touches, yet it can also be served on the bone, often with a sauce and some vegetables.
The sweetness of peas and freshness of lettuce intriguingly contrast with braised duck leg and delicious bacon. Onions, mint and thyme bring extra flavour to this beautiful dish.
Ingredients
BRAISED DUCK LEG
4 duck legs
vegetable oil
2 large onions, large dice
1 head of garlic, cut in half
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
25g of salt
2l chicken stock
BRAISED PEAS, LETTUCE, BACON, MINT
500g of peas
2 baby gem lettuces
4 spring onions, finely sliced
80g of bacon, medium dice
20g of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
20g of butter
Method
To braise the duck legs, heat a little vegetable oil in the base of a large pan on a medium to high heat. Add the onions, thyme, bay, salt and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the duck legs and enough chicken stock to cover.
vegetable oil
1 head of garlic
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
25g of salt
2l chicken stock
Bring the pan to the boil and reduce to a very gentle simmer. Place into the oven at 160˚C/gas mark 3 for 1-2 hours, or until the tender to touch. Allow to cool in the liquid. Once cool, remove the knuckle and trim the skin off the bottom of the drumstick. Place on to an oven tray, skin side down until required
To start the pea, lettuce and bacon garnish, place a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cut the baby gem lettuce in half and remove most of the root, making sure that the lettuce remains intact. Place the lettuce into the boiling water for 1 minute, remove and place into ice water
2 baby gem lettuces
In a large pan, start to fry the diced bacon on a medium heat unti golden. Remove the bacon from the pan and keep in a warm place until required
80g of bacon
Increase the heat, add the butter and and small dash of water, stirring to emulsify in the pan. Add the lettuce and cook until just tender, but still green
20g of butter
Next, add the peas, spring onions and return the bacon back to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Strain off any excess liquid, season to taste and add the fresh mint to finish
500g of peas
4 spring onions
20g of fresh mint leaves
To finish this duck recipe, pre-heat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4 and place the duck legs in for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and the skin is crispy. Remove the duck from the oven, place on a bed of the hot peas, lettuce and bacon and serve immediately.