Ingredients:
Serves 4
4 Duck legs
2 Star anise
4 Cloves of garlic
1 Onion, peeled and cut into four
300ml Red wine
200ml Vegetable oil
2 Bay leaves
1 Sprig of thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 Orange, sliced
400g Small shallots, peeled
80g Smoked bacon lardons
150g Cooked puy lentils
100g Cooked chestnuts, roughly broken
1 tblsp Chopped thyme
2 tblsp Chopped flat leaf parsley
400g Cauliflower florets
150ml Double cream
50g Butter
Method:
For the duck legs:
- The duck legs are best prepared the day before serving.
- Pre heat an oven to 140 degrees C (275 degrees F) Gas mark 1
- Arrange the onion pieces on the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
- Lay the duck legs flat on top of the onions.
- Pour the red wine, the vegetable oil and enough water to just about cover the duck legs.
- Add the star anise, sliced orange, garlic cloves, bay leaves, a sprig of thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover the duck legs with a piece of grease proof paper followed by two layers of tin foil sealed as tight as possible around the edge of the dish.
- Place the dish in the oven and leave for two and a half hours.
- After two hours the duck legs should be tender if not re seal the tin foil and place back in the oven.
- When the duck legs are tender remove the dish from the oven and carefully lift them out of the cooking liquid.
- Strain the liquid through a sieve into a bowl.
- Refrigerate both the duck legs and the liquid until cold.
For the cauliflower puree:
- Place the cauliflower florets into a saucepan and cover with cold water.
- Bring the pan to the boil and simmer until the florets are tender.
- Strain the water from the pan then add the double cream and butter.
- Put the pan back on the heat and bring the cream to the boil.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a food blender, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
To finish:
- Pre heat an oven to 180 degrees C ( 350 degrees F) gas mark 4
- Place the duck legs on a baking tray and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, the skin should crisp up and the meat should be hot through to the bone.
- While the duck legs are warming, heat a pan and add the shallots and lardons with a little oil, cook on a medium heat until everything has browned and add the chopped thyme and chestnuts.
- Take the cooking liquid and remove and discard the layer of fat that should have risen to the top whilst chilling. Take the jellied layer from beneath the fat and add to the pan.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes to reduce, add the puy lentils and season with salt and pepper, simmer until the shallots have softened.
- Stir the parsley into the lentils at the last minute then serve with the puree and duck leg.
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