I normally braise wild duck legs, but this will work with store-bought duck legs, too. This dish is best served with something mashed or soft. My favorite is either garlicky mashed potatoes or polenta with a little pecorino grated into it. I like a heavy white wine here, like a buttery Chardonnay.
A small handful of dried mushrooms,broken into pieces
1tablespoonbutter
2poundsduck or goose legs
Salt
4leeks,sliced thinly (use only the shanks - light green is OK, dark green is not)
2teaspoonsdried thyme
2teaspoonscaraway seed
2bay leaves
1-2shots of Cognac or Armagnac
Duck stock(use chicken stock if you don't have any)
Some good quality balsamic vinegar,for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325F. Get your tap water as hot as it will go and fill a small bowl with the hot water. Add the dried mushrooms, cover the bowl and let soak for 30 minutes. Salt duck legs and let them sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Heat the butter in a Dutch oven, brazier or a deep, oven-proof frying pan with a lid. Brown the duck or goose legs over medium-high heat. Take your time and get a good browning here. Once the legs are done, remove and set aside.
While the duck legs are browning, remove the mushrooms from the soaking water and squeeze them dry. Chop finely. Pour the mushroom water through a paper towel into a bowl -- this filters out any dirt or debris. Save the mushroom water.
Add the sliced leeks to the pan, which should now have lots of duck fat in it. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook over medium heat until you get a little color; you don't want anything charred. Add the bay leaves, thyme, caraway and a little salt.
Add the brandy. You can flame it if you'd like, or just cook it down by half. Once it is reduced, nestle the duck legs on top of the bed of leeks, skin side up. Pour in the stock (HINT: Heat it first so it does not drop the temperature in the braising pan.) up to the level of the meat, but do not cover the skin sides of the legs. Cover the pan and cook it in the over for at least an hour, or until the meat yields when pierced with a sharp knife. This could take up to 2-3 hours for very old, wild geese.
Once the meat is tender, uncover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the skin of the ducks is crispy.
To serve, lay down mashed potatoes or polenta fairly flat on the plate, then add the braised leeks in the center. Adorn with two or three duck legs and sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar over it. Serve at once.