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Duck Legs

Duck legs are ideal for slow cooking. Their high-fat content and great skin coverage gives succulent, fall-off-the-bone meat with delicious crispy skin. Classic preparations are confit or braised. The meat from the slow cooked legs can be used in many variations. They can be served whole with crispy skin and tender meat, or they can be shredded off the bone to be used in ragus, bon bons, stuffings, salads and many more.

Classic confit

  1. Heavily season the duck legs with sea salt flakes and rub all over with garlic and thyme. (tip: more flavours can be added at this stage, e.g. Spice rub or orange zest)
  2. Leave to cure for up to 10 hours.
  3. Rinse legs and pat dry.
  4. Place in single layer in a high sided gastro.
  5. Cover with melted duck fat or vegetable cooking oil.
  6. Cover tightly with foil and cook in the oven at 120°C for at least 3 hours. Do not be tempted to do at temperature above 140°C as this will result in dry ‘fried’ legs rather than succulent slow cooked ones.
  7. Check to ensure the meat is falling off the bone.
  8. Carefully remove the legs from the fat and chill whole or shred whist hot before chilling. Reserve the fat for next time.

Sous vide confit/braise

  1. Heavily season the duck legs with sea salt flakes and rub all over with garlic and thyme. (tip: more flavours can be added at this stage, e.g. Spice rub)
  2. Leave to cure for up to 10 hours.
  3. Rinse legs and pat dry.
  4. Seal and vacuum on full in a single layer. Add braising liquid at this stage if required. If no liquid is added, they will cook in their own fat and juices resembling confit.
  5. Submerge in a water bath at 88°C and cook for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  6. Chill on ice in the bag to retain whole set legs or alternatively remove from bags whist hot and shred before chilling.

Classic braise

  1. Fry your mirepoix with garlic and herbs.
  2. Add the duck legs and braising liquid (e.g. Chicken stock or red wine).
  3. Bring to a simmer and then cover and cook in the oven at 160°C for 2 hours.
  4. Check to ensure the meat is falling off the bone.
  5. Carefully remove the legs from the fat and chill whole or shred whist hot before chilling.
  6. Chill the braising liquid in the fridge for easy removal of set fat or reduce to sauce/glaze.

How to sous vide duck legs

Interested in adding Duck Legs to your menu?

Contact our foodservice account manager James for more details on how to get Gressingham on your menu.

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