Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Sweet Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb
Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Sweet Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb

Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Sweet Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

  • Total time:

  • Portion/Yield:

    Serves 4 as main course

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

The combination of rhubarb with duck is a match made in heaven. Outdoor rhubarb has a earthy flavour and the colour is slightly browner in comparison to the bright pink from the forced rhubarb. I’m truly torn between the two, I like both equally as much but my preference is to use the outdoor rhubarb with savoury foods and the forced with sweet bakery items.

I have used sous vide cooking method for this recipe. I cooked these duck legs in the water bath, if you do not have this facility you can confit the duck legs submerged in duck fat in the oven at 150°C for 3 hours until tender. The secret to the crispy duck skin is how you brown it once cooked, with both methods the duck legs needs to be crisp under the grill until golden brown before serving. photo of Slow Cooked Duck Leg with Sweet Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb

Ingredients & Method

For the slow cooked duck legs

  • 4 duck legs
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Sprig of each thyme and rosemary

Sweet Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 1 star anise
  • 50ml lemon juice
  • 200ml water
  • 100ml red wine vinegar
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 200g fresh out door rhubarb, cut into 5cm long battons
  • 100g frozen redcurrants

First prepare the duck. Preheat the water bath to 82°C.

Rub salt and pepper into the duck legs, place the duck legs into a vacuum bag with the rest of the ingredients.

Seal the bag on hard vacuum. Cook the duck legs for 8 hours.

In the meantime prepare the sweet tamarind pickled rhubarb, this could be done one day in advance. In a small saucepan over medium heat bring the sugar, tamarind paste, lemon juice, water, star anise and vinegar to a gentle simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rhubarb and redcurrants with seasoning, bring back to simmer for 5 minutes the pickled rhubarb is now ready to be use. Set aside until the duck is ready.

Drain the cooked duck, place on a oven tray skin side up and place under preheated grill for 15 -20 minutes until golden brown and the skin become crispy, watch this so that the duck does not burn under the grill.

Serve the duck legs with the sweet tamarind pickled rhubarb and blanched kale and sauteed pink fir potatoes.