- 4 duck legs, separated into drumstick and thighs
- 15g/½oz table salt per kilo of duck legs
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 300g/10½oz duck fat
- 5 tbsp roughly chopped flatleaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 4 duck breasts, skin scored
- knob of butter, for frying
- 110ml/3½fl oz red wine
- 250ml/9fl oz beef stock
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, whole
- 1 pear, cut into wedges
- 1 head chard, sliced
- For the duck, weigh the duck legs and thighs and place them on a sheet of clingfilm. Sprinkle them with 15g/½oz of salt per kilo and the thyme. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, heat a heavy saucepan until warm and add the duck legs and duck thighs and enough duck fat to cover the meat totally.
- Bring the fat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2½ hours, or until very tender. Carefully remove the legs from the fat and place on a roasting tray, draining off and reserving any excess fat.
- Remove the skin from the duck legs and set aside.
- Remove the skin, bone and tendons from the thigh and discard. Place the thigh meat into a bowl and mash with a fork. Gradually add about half of the duck fat. Add the chopped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Lay a piece of clingfilm on a board and place the duck mix in a thick line, arrange into a sausage shape and roll up the clingfilm like a Christmas cracker. Twist the ends and place in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Place the spices in a dry frying pan and heat until the spices start to smell and pop in the pan.
- Place in a spice grinder and grind until a powder is formed. Sprinkle the duck breast with the spice powder.
- Heat a large ovenproof frying pan until medium-hot, then add the duck breast, skin-side down and cook over a gentle heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the fat has rendered out of the breast. You may need to do the breasts in batches if the pan isn’t large enough.
- Turn the heat up and crisp for one minute, before turning over and placing in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest, covered and in a warm place, for five minutes.
- In the meantime take the duck mix out of the fridge and slice.
- Heat a large frying pan and add the butter, once hot add the slices of duck and the reserved confit legs and cook both sides until golden-brown.
- For the sauce, heat a saucepan, add the red wine and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the beef stock and return to the boil.
- Reduce the quantity of liquid by half again, then whisk in the butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
- For the roasted pears and shallots, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
- Heat half the butter and all the oil in a clean, small, ovenproof frying pan. Add the shallots and pears, stir well, then transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until cooked and tender.
- The other half of the butter add to a separate pan and add the chard add a little water and cook until wilted.
- To serve, place the wilted chard on the plates, carve the duck breast into slices on the diagonal and place on the chard. Place a roasted drumstick on the plate alongside along with the discs of duck. Pile the roasted pears and shallots next to the duck and drizzle with the red wine sauce.