I love this combination of meltingly tender duck with aromatic spices and the sweet-sour flavour of pomegranate molasses.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 whole duck legs (see Cook’s note)
sea salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
3 long sprigs thyme leaves
2 tablespoons each pomegranate molasses and tomato paste
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon each ground cumin and ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
long strips orange peel
juice 1 orange
16 dried apricots
1 cup each red wine and beef stock
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Season the duck legs all over with salt. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a low heat and cook the duck legs skin-side down for about 10 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate.
Pour off the excess fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the onions, carrot, garlic, bay leaves and thyme with a good pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, smoked paprika, all the spices, orange peel and the juice and cook for 2 minutes. Add the apricots, wine and the stock and bring to the boil.
Tip into a large ovenproof baking dish and nestle in the duck legs, skin-side up. Don’t completely submerge the duck legs.
Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the duck is very tender. Scatter over extra thyme sprigs to garnish if desired.
Cook’s note: You can use whole chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) in place of the duck. The cooking time will be shorter.
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Issue #122
Our latest of dish is an absolute bumper issue, packed with over 70 recipes! We start by chatting with the MasterChef Australia judges and Kiwi contestant Ben Mcdonald before cooking up the very best of what’s in season. Then we make freezer meals easy and delicious with double-batch cooking. Next up we share some of our faves including Pretzel-crumbed Chicken Schnitty and French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese. Then we whip up warming curries, tempting dinners for two, epic sides like our Parmesan-crusted Roasted Potatoes, and crowd pleasers like our cover-star Miso French Onion Chicken. We finish up with irresistible sweet treats and a run-down of top Aussie shiraz!