A classic, hugely popular recipe from France that never fails to impress. Serve with roast or sauté potatoes and dressed leaves.
handful coarse sea salt
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 bay leaves, roughly torn
handful thyme sprigs, roughly torn
4 duck legs, skin on
100ml/3½fl oz white wine
1 The day before cooking, scatter half the salt, half the garlic and herbs over the base of a small shallow dish. Lay the duck legs, skin-side up, on top, then scatter over the remaining salt, garlic and herbs (photo 1). Cover and chill overnight or up to 2 days ahead.
2 Pour the wine into a saucepan that will snugly fit the duck legs in a single layer (photo 2). Brush the salt off the duck and put it skin-side down in the wine. Cover, bring to the boil over a medium heat then cook as gently as possible for 2 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid is just barely simmering. After 2 hours the duck legs should be submerged in their own fat and the meat should be very tender when prodded (photo 3). Leave to cool.
3 To crisp up, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Remove the legs from the fat and place, skin-side down, in an ovenproof frying pan. Roast for 30–40 minutes, turning halfway, until brown and crisp (photo 4).
PER SERVING 636 kcals, carbs none, fat 57g, sat fat 16g, salt 2.83g
If you are preparing ahead, pack the duck legs tightly into a plastic container or jar at the end of Step 2, then pour over the fat – but not the liquid at the bottom of the pan. Cover and leave in the fridge for up to a month, or freeze for up to 3 months. The liquid you are left with makes a tasty gravy, which can be chilled or frozen until needed.
