How to Cook Braised Duck

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour 40 mins

Ingredients needed to make Braised Duck:

• 3 lb ducks and giblets
• 8 oz bacon lardons
• 1 lb peas, podded
• 4 oz leeks, diced
• 4 oz carrots, diced
• 1 lettuce, shredded
• 8 oz small button onions
• 1 ¾ pints chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 5 oz butter
• Salt to taste

Cooking instructions for Braised Duck:

• Warm up your oven to 300 degrees F.
• Toss the giblets into a saucepan and pour in the stock to simmer them for half an hour over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, place a large ovenproof casserole on the hob and heat it up.
• Melt 1 oz of butter in the hot dish and throw in the bacon lardons.
• Stir fry them for a couple of minutes and stir in the butter onions.
• Sauté them further for another 3 minutes or until they caramelize.
• Drain them out into a paper-towel lined plate and set aside.
• Poke the ducks with the tip of a sharp knife at several places and rub a dash of salt all over them.
• Dump the meat into the hot casserole with bacon drippings and sauté them for a while, until they are browned evenly.
• Skim off any fat from the casserole and pour in the prepared stock through the fine mesh strainer.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and place a lid on top before popping the casserole into the oven.
• Braise the meat for an hour and scatter the sautéed bacon-butter onion mixture into it.
• Let it stand in a warm spot for a while so any excess fat accumulates on the surface of the dish and skim it off.
• Place dish again on the stovetop and bring it back to a boil.
• Stir in the peas, herbs as well as shredded lettuce into the gravy and bring it to a simmer.
• Continue to cook likewise until the liquid reduces to 1/3 its original volume.
• Throw in rest of the softened butter and whisk it into the mixture until well combined.
• Adjust the seasonings and drain the ducks out onto a chopping board; set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Cut them into semi-thin slices and arrange them on a large serving platter.
• Drizzle the sauce over them and serve warm.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons