I have only eaten duck once before this.
It was the pan seared duck breast for French Fridays with Dorie and it was “ducky” to say the least. I don’t think I’m a fan of medium-rare duck.
But I was willing to give it another try after seeing Nigella Lawson make a rather similar dish on Food Network a few months back. She promised that this was a very easy and quick dish to make when you are feeling tired and unwilling to make a “regular” meal.
As far as easy, I give it five stars! Sear the duck, then the potatoes and pour a glass of wine – well one for you and one for your better half then sit back and relax while the duck bakes itself to perfection.
This dish is crispy, salty, sweet and just perfect. With the addition of the cauliflower, it really makes it a fully rounded meal. Perfect for some candlelight, a bottle of wine and time to share with your loved one.
If you aren’t keen on the cauliflower, feel free to substitute in some brussel sprouts, carrots or any other root or winter veg you like that holds up to roasting. I bet asparagus in the summer time would be really great too!
Ingredients:
- 2 duck legs
- 2 baking potatoes
- one small head of Romanesco Cauliflower
- few sprigs of fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400F and season the duck legs with salt and pepper.
On the stove, heat a small oven-going, roasting pan until hot then sear the duck legs, skin-side down over medium heat until the skin turns golden brown & releases some fat. Remove the legs, reserving the fat in the pan.
Sear the potatoes on each side over medium heat in batches and place on the plate with the duck legs. Once all the potatoes have been seared, take the pan off the heat and cut the cauliflower into florets.
Place the duck legs, skin-side up in the center of the pan then arrange the potatoes and cauliflower florets around the duck legs. Place a few fresh thyme sprigs on top of the duck legs then bake for about 20-30 minutes, tenting the pan with foil if the cauliflower begins to brown too much, until the duck legs are cooked through or to your liking.
Note: Cook only 10-25 minutes for medium-rare duck.
Serve piping hot!
