Duck meat has always felt luxurious but, as I discovered at a recent Suffolk food festival, it needn’t be a luxury: you can buy duck legs for very little. Legs do take longer to cook than breasts, but it is easier – the oven does all the work. Succulent, soft pieces of meat for a fraction of the price.
A tip: If you can’t find quince, use pear instead, but omit the poaching step.
Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr Serves 4
2-3 duck legs Salt and black pepper ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses plus 1 tbsp for the radicchio 3 tbsp honey Zest and juice of 1 small orange
For the quince 1 large/2 small quince Zest and juice of 1 lemon 5 tbsp golden caster sugar 1 tsp rosewater 1 sprig thyme
For the salad 1 head radicchio, cut into eighths through the stem 6 tbsp olive oil 1 handful dill, finely chopped 3 spring onions, finely chopped 200g large grained couscous, like the Palestinian maftoul A big handful of walnuts, finely chopped, to serve Seeds of ½ pomegranate, to serve
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Pat the duck dry with kitchen paper, and pierce the skin a few times with a sharp knife. Season well, mix the spices and rub half the mixture over the legs. Put on a baking tray and roast in the oven for an hour and 45 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the meat tender.
Meanwhile, whisk together the molasses, honey and orange, and brush half of this over the legs several times during the final 30 minutes of roasting, reserving the rest for the dressing.
Now peel, quarter and core the quince. Peel the lemon zest with a potato peeler, avoiding the white pith, and put in a small pan with half the lemon juice, quince, four tablespoons of the sugar, rosewater and thyme. Cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the quince is tender but still holding its shape. Drain, reserving the cooking liquor, and cut each quarter across into thick slices. Arrange on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and put in the oven underneath the duck for the last half-hour.
When cooked, leave the duck to rest, covered, in a warm place. Cover the couscous with boiling water, season and leave for five minutes.
Heat a griddle pan on a high heat. Toss the radicchio in a tablespoon each of olive oil and pomegranate molasses, season, then grill for 90 seconds a side, until it begins to wilt. Whisk the remaining olive oil with the orange-honey marinade, dill, spring onions, remaining lemon juice and a tablespoon of the quince liquor (use the rest for cocktails), and season. Arrange the couscous, quince and radicchio on a large serving plate and dress. Top with chunks of roast duck (you will easily be able to cut away tender chunks), walnuts and pomegranate seeds, and serve at once. A crisp chicory salad would be a great accompaniment.
Other grains, such as pearl barley and quinoa, also work well in this autumnal salad – lentils do, too. For a vegetarian version, use delica pumpkin instead of the duck.
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