Roast Duck Legs with Potatoes
by Nigella. Featured in KITCHENIntroduction
This is one of those leave 'em and love 'em meals. For all the ease of express-style food, there is a lot to be said for simply stashing something in the oven for an hour or two when stuck in too-tired-to-cook mode. True, one needs a little patience, which might make this more of a lazy weekend supper than the answer to your everyday exhaustion issues. You don't need much alongside, perhaps a fennel salad dressed with a spritz or two of orange juice and a squeeze of lime, or some bitter green salad leaves.
This is resolutely not a dish for fat-phobes.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This is one of those leave 'em and love 'em meals. For all the ease of express-style food, there is a lot to be said for simply stashing something in the oven for an hour or two when stuck in too-tired-to-cook mode. True, one needs a little patience, which might make this more of a lazy weekend supper than the answer to your everyday exhaustion issues. You don't need much alongside, perhaps a fennel salad dressed with a spritz or two of orange juice and a squeeze of lime, or some bitter green salad leaves.
This is resolutely not a dish for fat-phobes.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
- 2 duck legs
- 2 baking potatoes or 500g / 1lb other maincrop potatoes
- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Maldon sea salt flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 duck legs
- 2 baking potatoes or 500g / 1lb other maincrop potatoes
- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F. Get out a smallish roasting tin that can go on the stove, and sear the duck legs, skin-side down over medium heat, until the skin turns golden and gives out some oil. Keep an eye on the duck while you cut the potatoes into approx. 3cm / 1½-inch cubes. I don't peel them.
- Turn the legs over, preferably using a thin spatula, and taking care to dislodge the legs without ripping the skin. If the legs are very stuck on, it means they haven't crisped up enough yet.
- Arrange your potatoes around the duck legs, then let a few sprigs of thyme fall over the duck and potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, before putting into the oven.
- Cook for 2 hours, for optimal outcome, which is crisp-skinned and tender-fleshed duck and potatoes that are crunchy on the outside and divinely soaked through with duck fat on the inside, though both should be ready to eat after 1½ hours. I used to turn the potatoes over while cooking this, but have decided it is not necessary and, indeed, not desirable.
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F. Get out a smallish roasting tin that can go on the stove, and sear the duck legs, skin-side down over medium heat, until the skin turns golden and gives out some oil. Keep an eye on the duck while you cut the potatoes into approx. 3cm / 1½-inch cubes. I don't peel them.
- Turn the legs over, preferably using a thin spatula, and taking care to dislodge the legs without ripping the skin. If the legs are very stuck on, it means they haven't crisped up enough yet.
- Arrange your potatoes around the duck legs, then let a few sprigs of thyme fall over the duck and potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, before putting into the oven.
- Cook for 2 hours, for optimal outcome, which is crisp-skinned and tender-fleshed duck and potatoes that are crunchy on the outside and divinely soaked through with duck fat on the inside, though both should be ready to eat after 1½ hours. I used to turn the potatoes over while cooking this, but have decided it is not necessary and, indeed, not desirable.
Tell us what you think
Thank you {% member.data['first-name'] %}.
Explore more recipesYour comment has been submitted.
What 4 Others have said
-
Posted by Max878 on 22nd May 2023
-
Posted by Drscurran on 3rd January 2022
-
Posted by Fluffmeister on 12th May 2021
-
Posted by LipstickLibrarianXOXO on 25th April 2021
Show more commentsThis was very easy and very good! The duck was tender and the potatoes were perfectly cooked and crispy, what a great way to cook and serve a duck leg! I ate it with cabbage dotted with a little butter and a light sprinkling of fennel seeds. It really was delicious
I make this endlessly, my favourite thing ever!
This was delicious, and very easy - at first, I didn't think it would work as the potatoes are above the level of the rendered duck fat, so I thought they would cook and be crispy at the bottom but not the top - but they were perfect!
Such a delicious meal for weekends, guests. I had to remove the rendered duck fat as it was just too much. I added rosemary sprigs as well as thyme. For accompaniments I added new potatoes and chunks of apples halfway through. After the duck finished roasting, I removed the contents to a platter, then added kale to the fat, turning it over until softened slightly. The duck was served on the bed of kale and potatoes and apples. I might try this again with a dollop of Dijon mustard and some white wine whisked into the duck fat to make a bit of sauce, or a splash of fresh orange juice as it needs something acidic to cut through the richness