Braised Duck Legs Ingredients
- 6 duck legs
- ½ yellow onion
- 1 each carrot
- 2 each ribs of celery
- 1 whole head of garlic; cut in half
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 8 sprigs of thyme
- 6 cups of chicken stock
- 2 cups dry red wine
- ¼ cup grapeseed or canola oil
Braised Duck Legs Technique
- Preheat oven to 275F
- In a pan big enough to hold all six duck legs or in dutch oven, heat oil up over medium-high heat until it ripples and then brown off both sides of the duck
- Turn heat to low, remove duck legs from pan, and remove any extra fat
- Deglaze pan with red wine scraping up any bits that are stuck
- Return duck legs to pan with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, peppercorns, and thyme
- Heat up wine and stock together, and when hot, pour over duck legs, cover pan, and place in the oven for 75 minutes
- Check for doneness with a skewer or toothpick. There should be no resistance
- Allow duck to cool in the liquid for 45 minutes at room temperature; carefully remove duck legs and place on a sheet pan, wrap and cool
- Strain liquid and cool; once fat has cooled on top of liquid, remove and discard, saving the braising liquid
- This stage is best done the day before
Moroccan Chickpea Tagine Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup of small diced onion
- 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of cumin
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
- Pinch of cayenne
- ½ cup of golden raisins (Sultans)
- 2 Tablespoons of Tomato paste
- 2.5 cups of reserved braising liquid
- 1 each 14.5 oz can of peeled, diced tomatoes and their liquid
- 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas
- Salt and pepper to taste
Moroccan Chickpea Tagine Technique
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat and sweat onions, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and spices and stir to toast
- Deglaze with reserved braising liquid, add raisins and tomatoes, simmer (covered) for 10 minutes and uncovered for 10
- Arrange duck legs into pan with sauce and bake for 15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven, fold in chickpeas and golden raisins, and stir to mix
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Serve over herbed couscous
Herbed Couscous Ingredients
- 1.5 cups of couscous
- 3 cups liquid (water or stock)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint
- Salt and pepper to taste
Herbed Couscous Technique
- Bring liquid to a boil
- Turn off heat and stir in couscous
- Cover and let sit ten minutes
- Fluff with fork, fold in herbs, and season to taste with salt and pepper
