Recipes › Plum › Slow-Cooked Duck Legs with Plum Sauce
Slow-Cooked Duck Legs with Plum Sauce
Rich, fall-apart duck legs braised slowly with star anise and soy until the meat is deeply flavoured and tender, finished with a glossy plum sauce made from fresh British plums. Duck and plum is a classic combination, and this version is easy enough for a weeknight but special enough for a dinner party. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
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Ingredients
- 4 large duck legs
- 400 g Victoria plums
- 3 medium shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 20 fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 star anise
- 200 ml chicken stock
- ½ tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Contains: cereals gluten, soya.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan).
- Season the duck legs well. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat. Sear the duck legs skin-side down for 6–8 minutes until golden. Turn and sear for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Pour off most of the duck fat, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan. Soften the shallots for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and five-spice and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the plums, soy sauce, honey, star anise and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
- Return the duck legs skin-side up. Bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven.
- Braise for 1 hour 30 minutes until the duck meat is completely tender and beginning to fall from the bone.
- Remove the duck legs. Skim excess fat from the sauce and simmer on the hob for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Return the duck and serve.
Tips
- Searing the duck skin to a deep golden colour is worth the time — it renders fat and creates a base flavour for the sauce.
- Remove the star anise before serving.
Ring the changes
- Add a splash of rice wine or Shaoxing wine with the stock for a more Asian-influenced sauce.
- Use bone-in chicken thighs in place of duck for a lighter, quicker version.
Keeping it
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the oven or on the hob with a splash of stock.
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2 h · challenging · Plum
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