Twice Cooked Duck Leg with Mount Zero Lentils

Michael Smith of Innocent Bystander, Serves 4

Ingredients

The duck:

4 duck legs

Salt mix:

50gm rock salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 bay leaves
1 garlic clove
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 sprigs of thyme

To confit:

1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
Chicken stock
Duck fat

Lentils:

½ carrots, small dice
1 stick celery, small dice
¼ brown onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 sprigs of thyme, chopped

Pickled red cabbage:

1/6 red cabbage, sliced approx. 5mm thick
50ml Mount Zero Frantoio extra virgin olive oil
¼ brown onion
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp fennel seeds
Mt Zero Red wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper


Method

The duck:

Trim drumstick knuckle and rub with salt, rinse off after 30 min. Place leg in a tray and add confit ingredients, 50/50 stock to duck fat and it should come ¾ the way up the duck leaving the skin exposed, cook at 150°C for 1½ hr uncovered.

Once cooked and cooled slightly, remove thigh bone.

Strain liquid, and allow to cool. Remove solidified duck fat from top and place in a pot and bring above 100°C to allow further use later.

With the stock – place in a pan and bring to the boil, taste and add chicken stock till it’s not too salty, allow this to cool and retain for warming the duck in to serve.

Lentils:

Place lentils and veg in a pot with the thyme, cover with chicken stock, and bring to a simmer, top up throughout cooking process and cook till lentils are tender. Finish with chopped parsley and season to taste.
Fried Kipflers:
Rinse the potatoes and place in a pot, cover with cold water and season with salt. Cook till tender and strain, shallow fry in vegetable oil when serving..
Pickled Cabbage:
In a large pot heat up oil and sauté onion, garlic and fennel seeds, don’t colour, then add cabbage and cook till al dente, season and adjust flavour with vinegar. Not to sour, fresh and sharp.

Recipe Ingredients from the Mount Zero Range

Top