Braised Duck Legs, Puy Lentils & Bacon
- Nigel Barden
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
by Hayden Groves from Back in the Saddle (BaxterStorey)
Photography: Adrian Franklin
In 2017 Hayden Groves and a team of amateur cyclists skippered by former England and Crystal Palace footballer Geoff Thomas, took on the 3 Tours Challenge, riding the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España to help raise vital money for blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia.
Back in the Saddle contains 63 recipes inspired by every stage of their route & the landscapes of Italy, France and Spain: a cycling and food odyssey of 10,403km.
(Tour de France Stage 15 L.S L’Église – Le Puy-en-Velay 189.5km)
Puy lentils have been grown in the Auvergne region for over 2000 years. Their peppery flavour and ability to retain their shape after cooking are attributed to the area’s volcanic soil – they’re fantastic with bacon and are a wonderful addition to this braised dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 large duck legs
Sea salt
75g Puy lentils
100g celeriac, diced into 1cm cubes
75g carrot, diced into 1cm cubes
12 baby onions, peeled
100g Ventrèche bacon (or pancetta) diced into 1cm cubes (or use any pancetta)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 sprig rosemary
½ tsp tomato purée
100ml red wine
500ml brown chicken stock (i.e. any good quality chicken stock)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 165C/325F/gas mark 3.
Lightly score the skin and fat on the duck legs, season liberally with salt, and put aside for 5 minutes. Pat dry.
Seal the duck legs on their skin side in a thick-bottomed ovenproof pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Flip over and seal the flesh side, then return to skin side down and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Blanch the lentils: check them for any small stones, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, drain and rinse in cold water.
Remove the duck legs and reserve on a plate. Meanwhile drain all but a tablespoon of fat from the duck pan, and use what remains to lightly colour the celeriac, carrot, baby onions, bacon and garlic for 1 minute. Add the rosemary and tomato purée, and then add the blanched lentils.
Add the red wine and simmer until reduced to just a tablespoon, then add the brown chicken stock and bring back to a simmer.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a shallow casserole dish with a lid. Place the duck legs on top with any juices that have formed, cover with the lid and put back into the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook for 15 more minutes or until the legs are tender. Finish with a splash of red wine vinegar and the chopped parsley to serve.
Drinks tasted on air, alongside the dish:
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