Name: Citrus duck legs and crispy potatoes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 whole duck legs; 1/2 teaspoon salt; zest and juice from 2 oranges and 2 lemons; 1 teaspoon honey; thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated; 4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1cm thick rounds; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into lengths; a simple salad or peas, to serve

Citrus duck legs and crispy potatoes

In this recipe, the richness of the duck is offset by a decent dose of citrus zest and juices to balance out the flavours

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

1H 45M

Total

2H 15M

Ingredients

4 whole duck legs

1/2 teaspoon salt

zest and juice from 2 oranges and 2 lemons

1 teaspoon honey

thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated

4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1cm thick rounds

2 carrots, peeled and cut into lengths

a simple salad or peas, to serve

Method

1.Trim some – but not all – of the excess fat from the duck legs, reserving the trimmings. Pat the skin dry and prick it all over with a skewer or sharp knife, then sprinkle with salt. Mix together the citrus zests and juices, honey and grated ginger, then rub this into the duck legs. At this stage, you could leave it to infuse for 30 minutes or overnight if you like.

2.Spread the legs on a baking paper-lined tray, reserving any excess marinade for basting with later. Bake at 220°C for 30 minutes before reducing the temperature to 180°C, covering with foil and cooking for a further 45-60 minutes or until the meat is easily teased from the bone. Uncover, baste with the reserved citrus marinade and cook for a further 10-15 minutes at the top of the oven.

3.At the same time, but in a separate oven-proof dish, bake the duck fat trimmings until the fat is released and add the potato slices and carrots. Salt well and cook until crisp. Feel free to pour more duck fat onto the vegetables from the duck legs as they cook.

4.Serve the juicy legs with the crispy vegetables and a simple salad or peas.