Braised duck legs with red cabbage and orange

Ingredienti

• 4 duck legs
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 300 g red cabbage, finely shredded
• 200 ml red port
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 150 ml tomato passata
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Fresh strips of orange peel to garnish

Preparazione

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (conventional heat).Pat the duck legs dry with paper towels and season them generously with salt and pepper.Heat the braising pan over medium-high heat without adding extra fat. Place the duck legs skin-side down and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Turn them and cook another 3 minutes on the other side. Set the legs aside on a plate.Pour off most of the rendered duck fat from the pan. Leave one tablespoon of fat and sauté the onion, garlic and celery in it over medium heat for 5 minutes.Add the tomato passata, red port, chicken stock, orange zest, orange juice, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir everything well.Add the shredded red cabbage to the pan and gently mix. Place the duck legs on top, skin-side up, so the skin stays dry and can crisp up in the oven.Cover the braising pan with the lid and put it in the oven. Braise for 2 hours at 160°C. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes so the skin can crisp further.Remove the bay leaves and the sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper and, if desired, a splash of red port.Serve the duck legs with the red cabbage and sauce straight from the pan at the table, with mashed potatoes or crispy roasted potatoes on the side. Garnish with some fresh strips of orange peel.