Confit duck with roast cherries and mint salsa verde
Confit duck is not something you whip up at home that often, but it’s actually very easy. The sight of golden skin shining is always enticing. The cherries are somewhere between sweet and savoury, perfect with duck.
Overview
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
2 hrs 50 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
4 duck legs
fresh sage leaves, torn
10 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
200g duck fat
For the roast cherries
200g cherries, pitted and halved (you can use frozen if you like)
1 rosemary sprig
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the salsa verde
1 garlic clove
handful of parsley, dill, mint and tarragon leaves
50g large capers
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp Maldon sea salt
150ml olive oil
To serve
fresh mint
Method
Step 1
Put 4 duck legs in a dish, salt generously, then add torn fresh sage leaves and leaves of 10 thyme sprigs. Put in the fridge, preferably overnight or for an hour at least. Brush off the excess salt and place in a lidded cast-iron casserole dish.
Step 2
Add 200g duck fat and place on the hob over a gentle heat until melted. The legs should be fully covered in fat, so either use a smaller pan or add extra fat if this isn’t the case.
Step 3
Cover with a layer of baking paper and the lid, then cook for about 2 hours; either simmer gently on the hob or place in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Step 4
For the cherries, mix together all the ingredients in a small baking dish, and roast at 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7 for 30 minutes.
Step 5
When the duck is cooked the meat should come away from the bone and be super-soft.
Step 6
Transfer the duck legs from the fat to a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Step 7
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the salsa verde into a blender and blitz until smooth.
Step 8
Serve the duck with the cherries and all their juices spooned over the legs, some salsa verde on the side, and mint leaves to garnish.
