Roasted Confit of Duck Leg - Chef Recipe by Graeme McLaughlin

Ingredients

"This dish is based on duck dishes from Central Europe in the Winter time – namely Germany, Hungary and Austria – using cabbage braised in spices like clove, star anise and red wine vinegar. Similar to flavours found in mulled wine and paired with sweet currants and aromatic orange, this is typically European and perfect for Winter." – Executive Chef Graeme McLaughlin.

4 duck legs
500 g duck fat
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch thyme
20 g table salt
500 g Chat potatoes
1 small red cabbage
200 g butter
500 g red wine vinegar
1 kg beetroot
4 juniper berries
1 star anise
1 clove
500mL brown chicken stock
400mL chicken jus
100 g currants
100 g hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
1 orange
Chopped chives to garnish.

Method

For the duck:

Finely chop thyme and garlic and combine with table salt. Lightly coat each duck leg and leave overnight.
On a low heat, melt the duck fat in an ovenproof pot.

Rinse the duck legs of excess salt and pat dry. Place the dried legs into the warm fat and ensure the legs are submerged. Place a lid on the pot and put in a pre-heated oven at 150 C for 3 hours.

Remove pot from oven and allow legs to cool in the fat.

For the sides:

Placed cleaned Chat potatoes into a pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer until the potatoes are just cooked. Strain water and allow to cool. Slice into 5mm rounds.

Individually wrap the beetroot in tin foil, place on a baking tray in a hot oven at 180 C until soft. Remove from the oven and foil, peel outer skin while still warm. Place peeled beetroot in a blender and puree until smooth. Season with red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Cut the cabbage into quarters, removing outer leaves and core, In a pan, bring 200g of butter to beurre noisette (brown butter) on a medium heat. Cook the cabbage in the butter until lightly coloured, add the brown chicken stock, star anise and clove and reduce heat. Cover with a circle of baking paper and place in the oven, cook until soft but still firm.

In a pan, put some of the melted duck fat from the duck legs and place over a medium heat. Place the trimmed and cooked duck legs skin side down and crisp the skin. Once crisp and golden brown, remove and put in the potato rounds to colour and crisp to golden brown.

In a small pot, place chicken jus with juniper berries and warm on a low heat.

To plate:

Place four or five pieces of potato on the centre of a serving plate. Place a well-drained piece of braised cabbage on top. To one side, spoon a quenelle of beetroot puree. Rest the duck against the cabbage and spoon over jus.

Sprinkle the hazelnuts and currants over duck leg. Finish with a grating of orange zest, through a micro plane, sprinkling of finely chopped chives and coarsely ground pepper.

Recipe provided by Hophaus Bar