Roasted Leg of Duckling with Spring Leeks and New Potatoes
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Roasted Leg of Duckling with Spring Leeks and New Potatoes

By November 9, 2015

Duck legs are stuffed with a forcemeat of herbed pork and veal and served with spring leeks and new potatoes. The spring leeks called for in the recipe, also known as wild leeks or ramps, are a rare treat if you can find them. They grow wild from Canada to the southern United States and look like a scallion, but taste much stronger — like garlic and onion mixed into one. They can be found in specialty produce markets from March to June. Baby leeks are an excellent substitute. Caul fat is a lacy net of pork abdominal membrane. It may be purchased from a butcher.

Ingredients

Instructions

Remove the breasts and legs from the ducks and reserve the breasts. Remove the bones from the legs by cutting down to the bone with a sharp knife on each side, then cutting under the bone to free it from the meat. Pop the joint and remove the first bone. Cut around the top of the second bone with a sharp knife. Turning the meat inside out, cut along the bone to the leg knuckle. With the heel of a French knife, cut the bone off at the bottom. Season the meat with salt and pepper inside and out; wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to proceed. Reserve the bones and trimmings for the stock.

To make the duck stock: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Chop the bones, then place them in a roasting pan and bake until evenly browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer the bones to a 6-quart stock pot. Add the white wine to the roasting pan and cook and stir over medium heat to scrape up the glaze from the bottom of the pan. Pour the liquid into the stock pot. Add the leek, onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add enough water to just cover the bones, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 1 hour, then strain the stock. Cook over medium heat to reduce by one fourth, about 10 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to let the fat congeal on the surface, then lift away the fat. Store, covered, in the refrigerator; rewarm when ready to use.

To make the forcemeat and prepare the legs: Preheat the oven to 300 F. Grind the pork and veal through a 3/8-inch grinder blade into a non-aluminum bowl set in ice. Add the herbs, minced mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the egg yolk and gradually add the cream until mixed to a paste. Place the forcemeat into a large pastry bag and force the mixture into the duck legs, filling the cavity left by the bones. Lay a duck leg on a piece of caul fat and wrap to encase the entire leg tightly. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan. Repeat with the other legs. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let rest, out of the oven, for 10 minutes before slicing.

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan or saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook to reduce by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cook to reduce by one third, about 4 minutes. Add the herbs and cook for 1 minute. Swirl in the cold butter. Keep warm.

To prepare the potatoes: Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan or skillet until smoking. Add the potatoes and toss to start browning, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the potatoes in a 350 F oven for 15 minutes, until tender. Remove; keep warm.

To prepare the leeks: Cut the leeks into 1-inch diagonal pieces. Place in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Cook over high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Strain the leeks and keep warm.

To serve: Slice the duck legs diagonally to expose the filling. Place one sliced leg on each warmed serving plate, fanning the meat slightly. Serve the potatoes and leeks alongside.

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