Braised Duck Legs with Cabbage and Fingerling Potatoes
4 duck legs
Salt
1 head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1/8-inch wedges
1 yellow onion, julienne
2 garlic cloves, slivered
¼ cup white wine (optional)
2 cups chicken broth
10 fingerling potatoes
Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Season the duck legs with salt. Heat an oven-safe braising pan over medium heat, and then place the duck legs in the hot pan, skin side down, to render the fat and brown the skin, 8-10 minutes. When the skin is golden brown, turn the legs over to sear and lightly brown the other side, about 4 minutes. Remove the duck legs from the pan and set aside.
Add the cabbage wedges to the rendered duck fat in the pan and cook over medium heat until the cabbage begins to lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over the cabbage wedges to brown the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the cabbage and set aside on a plate. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
When the garlic and onions are soft, deglaze the pan with the white wine, if desired. Return the cabbage to the pan, add the chicken broth, and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the potatoes and duck legs to the pan.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 90 minutes, turning the legs every 20 minutes. (Keep an eye on the liquid in the pan, as you do not want to scorch the bottom of the pan; add a small amount of water to the pan if needed.) Remove the pan from the oven and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves four.
Beer pairings: Half Acre’s Over Ale, Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale, Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale, Grand Teton Extra Special Brown, Sierra Nevada Tumblr, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, Yazoo Dos Perros.
Half Acre Beer Company in “The American Craft Beer Cookbook” by John Holl (2013 Storey)