Roast Gressingham duck legs recipe

Impress dinner guests with this Roast Gressingham duck legs recipe.  It’s a real crowd-pleaser when served up with a fruity redcurrant and red wine jus, some seasonal green vegetables and a crispy chive and olive oil jacket potato. This recipe serves two, but you can simply double or triple the quantities if you’re having guests.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 Gressingham Duck Legs®

Small sprig thyme

1 garlic clove

2 small baking potatoes (cleaned and wrapped in foil)

125g tender stem broccoli

125g green beans

Handful fresh chives

200ml good red wine

1tbsp redcurrant jelly

500ml chicken stock or ½ stock cube mixed with 500ml hot water

1tsp balsamic vinegar

A knob of butter

2 sprigs fresh redcurrants (for garnish)

2tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method 

Pre-heat oven to 160°C.

Dry the duck legs with absorbent paper. Season well and sear the duck legs on both sides in a hot frying pan with no oil, until browned. Leave the legs skin- side down and add a dash of oil to the pan along with a sprig of thyme and a clove of garlic.

Cover the pan with tin foil and place in the oven (if your pan is not all metal then transfer to a baking tray and do the same). Place the potatoes in the oven at the same time. Check both the duck and potatoes after 45 minutes for tenderness and adjust cooking time accordingly.

While the duck is cooking, prepare the jus and vegetables. Place the red wine, redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce until it starts to get sticky and dark. Add in the chicken stock and reduce by two-thirds. Whisk in a knob of butter and then take off heat. Blanche the vegetables in salted boiling water, drain them and set aside.

When the potatoes are ready, slice off the top of each potato and scoop out the filling with a teaspoon and into a bowl. Mix the potato with the chives, two tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the potato back into the ‘jacket’

When you are ready to serve place the potato back into the oven for five minutes and quickly reheat the jus and the vegetables. Divide everything onto two plates and garnish with the fresh redcurrants.

Recipe courtesy of Gressingham.