Duck Confit with Spiced Lentils

This Duck Confit with Spiced Lentils recipe is a hearty dish. Confit is duck which is salted and slowly cooked in duck fat. It can be served cold or can be roasted in the oven with honey as it is here! The lentils are combined with garlic, shallot, carrot, celery, leek, bacon and spices. Delicious!

Ingredients

  • 3 duck legs
  • 1 small bunch thyme
  • 15g table salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, halved
  • 500g duck fat
  • 2 tablespoons runny honey
For the spiced lentils:
  • 50g butter
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • ½ carrot, diced
  • ½ stick celery, diced
  • 1 shallot, peeled and diced
  • ½ leek, diced
  • 50g bacon lardons
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 150g Puy lentils, cooked
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
To serve:
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  • Mashed potatoes

Method

Salt the duck legs with the thyme and garlic and pop in the fridge for 24 hours.

Remove from the fridge, wash off the salt if you like, then pop into a deep roasting dish with the thyme and garlic. Cover the legs in the duck fat and simmer for 2 hours, before allowing to cool and chilling.

Remove the duck legs from the roasting dish, remove any excess fat and place onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with honey then roast for 20 minutes at 220°C.

For the spiced lentils, melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the garlic, shallot, carrot, celery, leek, bacon and spices then cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables have softened a little.

Add the lentils and chicken stock. Mix the cumin and coriander with a little water and stir to a paste then add to the pan also. Bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes before adding the sherry vinegar and the rest of the butter.

To serve your Duck Confit with Spiced Lentil, sprinkle over coriander, season and serve with the duck and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 3 duck legs
  • 1 small bunch thyme
  • 15g table salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, halved
  • 500g duck fat
  • 2 tablespoons runny honey
For the spiced lentils:
  • 50g butter
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • ½ carrot, diced
  • ½ stick celery, diced
  • 1 shallot, peeled and diced
  • ½ leek, diced
  • 50g bacon lardons
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 150g Puy lentils, cooked
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
To serve:
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  • Mashed potatoes

Method

Salt the duck legs with the thyme and garlic and pop in the fridge for 24 hours.

Remove from the fridge, wash off the salt if you like, then pop into a deep roasting dish with the thyme and garlic. Cover the legs in the duck fat and simmer for 2 hours, before allowing to cool and chilling.

Remove the duck legs from the roasting dish, remove any excess fat and place onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with honey then roast for 20 minutes at 220°C.

For the spiced lentils, melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the garlic, shallot, carrot, celery, leek, bacon and spices then cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables have softened a little.

Add the lentils and chicken stock. Mix the cumin and coriander with a little water and stir to a paste then add to the pan also. Bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes before adding the sherry vinegar and the rest of the butter.

To serve your Duck Confit with Spiced Lentil, sprinkle over coriander, season and serve with the duck and mashed potatoes.