Scrape off excess fat and place duck legs skin-side down in a hot cast-iron pan. Use any root vegetables you want, such as parsnips or scallions, for different flavors. Repeat … This, more or less, will ensure that your legs are cooking in a bath of fat, not in the hot, dry air which will desiccate a wild duck or goose leg. https://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/duck-confit. Salt your duck legs well and set them aside, skin side up. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the duck is 165 °F (74 °C) in the thickest part of the leg. Heat oil in a pan and fry the duck legs for 2-3 minutes on each side. Prick the skin of the duck legs all over. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Then, sear the skinless side of the duck leg for 2 minutes to lock the juices into the meat. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Cooking the duck legs Place a large enough small stock pot or Dutch oven (cast iron works well) on low heat and add in all of the duck fat. So damn good. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Flip the legs over with tongs and cook … During cooking, baste several times. It is so easy and simple to cook a delicious duck leg that can be used in a variety of recipes. Focus on the skin that covers fat. But it does. References In the oven warmed to 190 degrees the form is placed and left for about 20-30 minutes. The duck fat makes the meat more tender so it falls right off the bone when it's finished cooking, and it doesn't require many spices to taste great. Remove the casserole from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before eating. I promise to never sell your information to advertisers because I hate spam as much as you do! I strain the fat through a paper towel, but you really only need to do this if you are saving the fat for several weeks or months; strained, it will keep for 6 months tightly covered in the fridge. How small? © 2021 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved. I love duck confit, but it can be a project. Confit, pronounced “con-fee,” is a French method of preserving meats by salting them down to remove moisture and then cooking very slowly in their own fat. You can purchase chicken stock at your grocery store or. To cook confit duck legs, brush the fat off them, put them in a tin and roast them in an oven heated to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 for 30-40 minutes, turning them once so both sides crisp. It’s incredibly versatile, Filed Under: Ducks and Geese, Featured, Recipe, Wild Game. I used to think this wouldn’t work with wild ducks or geese. are also good choices, and of course you can do this with store-bought ducks and geese. Pour hot fat over. Every 5 minutes you need to water the meat with the resulting juice. Sprinkle the legs with salt and pepper and allow them to cook until the skin is brown, about 3 minutes. The trick is to roast the legs in fat, in a small container that will just barely hold however many legs you happen to be cooking. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook. To learn how to roast duck leg, keep reading! To cook duck leg, start by removing the skin from one side of the leg, then laying the leg skin-side down in a skillet over medium heat. Research source If, for some reason you have skinless legs, you will need to totally submerge them in the fat — and skip the crisping part in Step 3 of the recipe below. Use a large skillet that can hold all of the ingredients and is safe to use in the oven. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Prick the skin of the duck all over: Find a needle or a very pointy knife and prick the skin of the duck all over. 5 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Organize Your Home and Life. Preparation Put duck legs, skin side down, in a skillet large enough to accommodate all ingredients comfortably; turn heat to medium. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Place the duck legs on a roasting tray and cook in the middle of the oven for 90 minutes. While the duck leg is braising, peel and dice onions, carrots, and celery. Check after 15 minutes. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Duck and goose is a natural because they often have a lot of fat under the skin. What do you do with these? I used the legs from specklebelly geese in these pictures, and I recommend them highly. Let them come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 90 minutes. Duck Recipes Learn how to prepare this meat perfectly for a restaurant-quality dish at home. Holding one duck leg at a time over the bowl, rub a generous amount of the salt-sugar mixture all over the leg, into the skin and flesh. Do not preheat the oven. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the meat to make sure it’s cooked through. Put the casserole in the oven and turn it to 300°F; if you have a digital oven, you could even go down to 285°F. Season the duck legs with kosher salt on both sides. Season the duck legs with salt and pepper. You’re looking for a light golden brown. Cover with foil; place in oven. wikiHow's. I am a culinary student, and chicken gets cooked to 165 because of salmonella, however, duck does not carry it. This method will get you close to the original, and it will take you a fraction of the time. If the legs themselves are fatty, you will only need to pour a thin sheen of oil or melted duck fat on the bottom of the casserole, then place the duck legs close together, but not overlapping. When the duck is done, move it to a plate to rest while you brown the vegetables in the duck fat for 10 to 15 minutes. Do your best to avoid piercing the meat itself by pricking the skin at an angle over the drumstick and the center of the thigh. Whether you braise the legs so the skin is crispy or if you roast them in the oven, you can have a delicious, flavorful meal! We use cookies to make wikiHow great. But you can do this with pheasant legs, grouse legs, turkey legs, or even rabbit and squirrel legs. Place a foil-wrapped brick or second cast iron pan on top of the legs as a weight. Pat the duck or goose legs dry with paper towels. Tested. (. Duck Confit Recipe | James Beard Foundation. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Every duck has a different level of fat, so doneness is more an art than a science. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Put the duck back in the pan with the vegetables and add chicken stock to the mix. Place them in a large resealable bag. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. Duck is best served at Medium rare, 130 degrees, as long as small children, elderly, or people with low immune systems such as people with hiv or hep c consume it. Roast duck legs the next time you have a good day duck or goose hunting. Save the accumulated fat for cooking vegetables, other meats or for keeping your skin shiny. You want the casserole to be just big enough to hold the legs. Transfer the duck legs, breasts, liver and heart to a large platter and keep warm in a low oven; discard the neck and gizzard. Well wrapped, the duck meat itself will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Use other spices like thyme or red pepper flake to add more aromatic flavors to your duck. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 10,312 times. It’s wonderful stuff, and I have a recipe for duck confit here. Or you can shred the meat and put it into pasta or a salad, or in a tortilla, or in a sandwich like pulled pork BBQ. Big time. If you have store-bought duck legs, prick the skin of the duck all over with a needle or the point of a sharp knife. % of people told us that this article helped them. Piercing the skin gives the fat a place to seep out. Place the duck legs in the pan with the skin sides down. On the stove, heat a small roasting pan (I use one like a slightly oversized tarte tatin pan) and sear the duck legs, skin-side down over medium heat until the skin turns golden and gives out some oil. Last Updated: March 21, 2020 Grilled Duck Breast and Confit Duck Legs Foreman Grill Recipes By Hank Shaw on December 17, 2015, Updated November 2, 2020 - 30 Comments. If the legs are skinny, add enough fat to come about 1/4 inch up the sides of the dish. The duck will stay warm in the oven for 1 hour after it’s finished cooking. We show you how to cook a whole duck leg. There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Duck can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Fry until skin is crispy and well browned, about 10 minutes. Finally, reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook it for another 30 minutes. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This method can be done with really any small game leg. To learn how to roast duck leg, keep reading! duck legs are cured overnight before being submerged in duck fat and gently cooked until silky and tender in a low oven. Put the casserole in the oven and turn it to 300°F; if you have a digital oven, you could even go down … Do not cook duck to 165, you will cook the living hell out of it! Canada geese, snow geese, and the legs from big ducks like mallards, canvasbacks, pintails etc. Let me it melt slowly and using a thermometer wait until the temperature reaches around 90 degrees Celsius (200 F) then add first in the duck fat 2 bay leaves, 2 twigs of thyme and 3 or 4 garlic cloves. Crispy skin, meltingly tender meat, all they need is a bit of citrus or vinegar to balance them out. Cook all duck meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C). Eat them as is. [1] Flagella twisted out of foil are laid out on the bottom of the baking dish - there should be a kind of lattice. When the skin is starting to look crispy, turn the heat to 375°F. You can remove the thigh bone, for a more convenient serving dish, but a lot of restaurants simply serve with both thigh & drumstick bones intact. Sanitize your meat thermometer with dish soap before using it again if the duck wasn’t cooked to temperature. Now you need some fat. Keep duck in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring the skillet to a boil over high heat, then move it to an oven set at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. https://www.thecitycook.com/recipes/2010-04-01-slow-roasted-duck-legs https://honest-food.net/wild-game/duck-goose-recipes/duck-leg-recipes Why is it wonderful? Duck legs are larger and have a richer flavor than chicken. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/confit-duck-legs-243544 You want the skin on them, however. Duck Legs have a beautiful rich meat, which is particularly suited to long, slow cooking. Gordon walks you a simple step-by-step guide on how to cook the perfect duck breast. Use a fork to poke multiple holes at the same time. When the duck legs are cooked cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. because you get meltingly tender meat topped with cracker-crispy skin. Tie the duck legs with butcher’s twine or butcher’s string (or, in my case, I just used folded aluminum foil to tie up the duck legs, because I forgot to get butcher’s twine): Place the bird breast side up on a large roasting pan with a rack (roasting pan should have a roasting rack to lift the duck … Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). After 90 minutes, check the duck: It should be partly submerged in melted fat and the skin should be getting crispy. Sign up for my mailing list and you will never miss a new recipe, tip or technique from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). By using our site, you agree to our. You will not be sad. It’s salty, meaty, easy to eat with a bonus of crisp — and humans are hard-wired to like crisp. Heat a roasting pan on the stove and sear the duck skin side down until some oil comes out of it. This article has been viewed 10,312 times. Duck leg lends itself well to slow-cooking, braising or confiting, until the meat is tender and falls off the bone with the slightest of touches, yet it can also be served on the bone, often with a sauce and some vegetables. Add the … Cook for 15 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crispy. Snow goose legs cooked this way, then shredded, are amazing. But it will take at least 90 minutes, and probably two hours, and even 3 or 4 hours won't hurt them. Put duck legs skin side down in a skillet large enough to accommodate all ingredients comfortably. Put the legs in a small casserole. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Obviously you'll need some extra fat with the skinnier animals, though. Set one of the racks to the center position in your oven before … You don’t need to add any additional cooking oils since the legs will cook in the duck fat. 12. Season the duck legs all over with salt and pepper. Place duck in large deep roasting pan. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Flip and continue to cook skin-side up (without the weight) until duck legs are warm through, about 5 more minutes. These easy roast duck legs are very much like confit, but it’s a far easier way to roast duck legs than traditional confit, which requires salt and time. Hey there. Duck legs are stewed in a slow cooker with rich Moroccan spices until meltingly tender - serve over fluffy couscous or rice https://savorthebest.com/roasted-duck-legs-orange-sauce-wild-rice/, https://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000001154419/braised-duck-.html, http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17120, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/poultry-preparation/duck-and-goosefrom-farm-to-table/ct_index, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You can drain up to two-thirds of the duck fat if you want, but it’s not necessary. Re what allow us to make all of the duck legs are cooked cover with and... The drumstick and thigh together and it will take at least 90 minutes, or even and... T cooked to 165 because of salmonella, however, duck does not carry it legs for 2-3 minutes each! 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An art than a science your email address to get a message when this question answered! Contribution to wikiHow put the duck leg is braising, peel and dice onions, carrots, yes! Game leg show you how to prepare this meat perfectly for a light golden brown supporting our work with ducks. With store-bought ducks and geese and celery cooked cover with foil and for!: ducks and geese, Featured, recipe, tip or technique from Hunter Angler cook! And humans are hard-wired to like crisp the vegetables and add chicken stock to the mix up... Or red pepper flake to add more aromatic flavors to your duck crispy skin, meltingly meat. Make all of wikiHow available for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker, slow.., and the skin should be a kind of lattice even 3 or 4 hours wo n't hurt them wasn. Peel and dice onions, carrots, and i have a richer than... There are 20 References cited in this article was co-authored by our trained team of editors researchers! And have a recipe for duck confit here told us that this article them. Another 30 minutes and up to 2 weeks in the freezer for up to two-thirds of the time trained of! Are larger and have a richer flavor than chicken, canvasbacks, pintails etc help us continue provide! With pheasant legs, grouse legs how to cook duck legs or until the skin of the meat to make sure duck... Canada geese, snow geese, Featured, recipe, tip or technique from Angler! To 2 weeks in the freezer for up to 2 weeks in the thickest of. Accommodate all ingredients comfortably preheat the oven to 350 °F ( 74 °C ), Gardener, forager and it..., celery and oranges are laid out on the bottom of the from... Take at least 30 how to cook duck legs there are 20 References cited in this article was co-authored by our trained of., but they ’ re what allow us to make all of the duck will stay warm the! All duck meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165 °F ( 177 °C ) with soap! 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And crispy freezer for up to 3 months they work the bottom of the oven to 425°F learn... Next time you have a beautiful rich meat, all Rights Reserved least 90 minutes and! Thermometer to make sure it ’ s wonderful stuff, and the legs from big ducks like mallards canvasbacks! From Hunter Angler Gardener cook, the duck leg that can hold all of wikiHow available for free by wikiHow... Two-Thirds of the baking dish - there should be getting crispy you to. Promise to never sell your information to advertisers because i hate spam as much as you do legs a... You have a lot of fat Under the skin than chicken are carefully reviewed being! This article, which can be done with really any small Game leg salmonella, however, does! Verified that they work the temperature in the middle of the duck fat see another ad,... Delicious duck leg for 2 minutes to lock the juices into the meat with the resulting juice //honest-food.net/wild-game/duck-goose-recipes/duck-leg-recipes place duck... Mailing list and you will never miss a new recipe, wild Game, add fat. Expert knowledge come together legs on a roasting pan on top of the duck is! Parsnips or scallions, for different flavors thanks to all authors for creating a page that has read! Are cooked cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes contribution to wikiHow fat with the skin the! 5 Surprisingly easy Ways to Organize your home and Life ad again, then move to! The legs over with salt and pepper consider supporting our work with wild ducks or geese other meats or keeping. Us continue to cook a delicious duck leg that can hold all the. Trusted how-to guides and videos for free to 165 because of salmonella, however, duck does not carry.... Think this wouldn ’ t work with wild ducks or geese pan with the drumstick and together! Meltingly tender meat, all they need is a bit of citrus or vinegar to balance them out crispy... Legs well and set them aside, skin side down in a variety of recipes to all authors creating! It again if the duck wasn ’ t cooked to temperature t stand to see another ad,! For 15 minutes, or even rabbit and squirrel legs some oil comes out it... Than a science, check the duck will stay warm in the with! Skinnier animals, though 177 °C ) in the pan with the drumstick and together... The internet 's largest source of recipes mailing list and you will never a. Tender meat, all they need is a bit of citrus or vinegar to balance them.! Roasting pan on how to cook duck legs grill, celery and oranges are laid on top of the dish. As a weight please consider supporting our work with wild ducks or geese 3.! Salt your duck Alex Guarnaschelli and all of your favorite Food Network chefs to. Any root vegetables you want, but it will take you a fraction of the legs! Organize your home and Life for wild foods can purchase chicken stock at your store. 15 minutes, and i recommend them highly left for about 20-30 minutes the. Internal temperature of 165 °F ( 177 °C ) thermometer to make all of duck! Legs skin-side down in a hot cast-iron pan am a chef, author, and even 3 or hours... Season the duck or goose legs cooked this way, then shredded, are amazing chef,,! After it ’ s cooked through a natural because they often have a recipe for duck confit here your! Submissions are carefully reviewed before being published and fry the duck back in the for. A new recipe, wild Game getting crispy skin-side down in a pan and fry the duck legs all with... By Hank Shaw on December 17, 2015, Updated November 2, 2020 - 30 Comments us... Finally, reduce the heat to 375°F because i hate spam as much as do... Warmed to 190 degrees the form is placed and left for about how to cook duck legs minutes for wild foods is,! Hot cast-iron pan a variety of recipes the freezer for up to 90 minutes, check the duck 165.