Braised Duck Legs with Apples and Chestnuts

For St. Martin's evening: duck legs are slowly braised with apples, onions, carrots and herbs until the meat is tender. Chestnuts give the dish an autumnal note, reminiscent of the Martinmas goose.

By yumbelo · 4 servings · 150 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 pc Duck legs
• 1 tsp Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbsp Cooking oil
• 2 pc Onions
• 2 pc Carrots
• 2 pc Garlic cloves
• 1 bunch Thyme
• 2 pc Bay leaves
• 3 pc Apples, e.g. Boskop
• 200 g Chestnuts, pre-cooked, vacuum-packed
• 500 ml Apple juice, unsweetened
• 300 ml Water
• 30 g Butter
• 1 bunch Parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C, conventional heat. Pat the duck legs dry and season them with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pot or braising pan over medium to high heat. Place the duck legs skin side down and sear for about 8 minutes until crisp, then turn them and cook briefly on the other side. Remove and set aside.
3. Pour off the fat, leaving about 2 tbsp in the pot. Cut the onions and carrots into chunks and sweat them in it for 5 minutes. Finely chop the garlic and cook it briefly.
4. Peel the apples, quarter them, core them and cut into wedges. Add them to the pot together with the chestnuts and sauté for 3 minutes.
5. Add the apple juice and water, then return the thyme, bay leaves and duck legs to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the legs.
6. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for about 90 minutes, until the meat falls off the bone. After 60 minutes, turn the legs once.
7. Remove the duck legs and keep them warm. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce by half, uncovered. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in the butter until the sauce is glossy. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the dish.
9. Arrange the duck legs with the apples and chestnuts and pour the sauce over them.