Duck legs braised in pinot noir

Marinate and slow-cook duck in pinot noir and discover why they're a food and wine match made in heaven.

• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (250ml) pinot noir
• 150ml port
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 duck marylands (see note)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup (80ml) demiglaze (see note)
• 8 eschalots, peeled
• 20g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• Steamed peas and creamy mashed potato, to serve

Energy 1938kJ	Fat saturated 7.00g
Fat Total 20.00g	Carbohydrate sugars 17.00g
Carbohydrate Total 18.00g	Dietary Fibre 4.00g
Protein 36.00g	Cholesterol 223.00mg
Sodium 341.16mg

All nutrition values are per serve.

1. Step 1

   Place onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a heavy-based saucepan with pinot, port, orange zest and juice, and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside to cool. Pour over duck legs in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Step 2

   Preheat the oven to 150°C.

3. Step 3

   Drain the duck legs, reserving the marinade and vegetables separately. Pat duck dry with paper towel. Heat oil in a large ovenproof frypan over medium heat. Fry the duck legs for 2-3 minutes each side until golden all over. Remove duck from pan and set aside, then drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat.

4. Step 4

   Place the reserved vegetables in the frypan and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Add reserved marinade, demiglaze and 1 cup (250ml) water and bring to the boil. Add the duck legs and cover with a round piece of baking paper to keep in the moisture, then cover with a lid or foil. Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours or until the duck is tender. Remove the pan from the oven and strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Place the liquid over medium heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes until mixture has reduced to a thick sauce.

5. Step 5

   Meanwhile, cook the eschalots in a small saucepan of lightly salted water over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel. Heat butter in a small-heavy based frypan over medium-low heat. Add the eschalots and swirl pan to coat in butter. Sprinkle with the sugar and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until golden.

6. Step 6

   Serve the duck with the peas, mashed potato and caramelised eschalots.

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Begin this recipe a day ahead. Order duck from butchers and poultry shops. Demiglaze is a reduced stock, from selected delis and butchers - if unavailable, omit the water and substitute 1 cup (250ml) chicken or beef stock.