French Drumstick

Thank goodness that I love cooking smart and not harder; otherwise, I wouldn't have developed a much less work duck leg recipe. Duck meat requires low heat while cooking because the meat has tight muscle fibers and high fat content. It needs time to tenderize and render fat so the meat isn't tough. 

Confit de canard usually takes two to three hours of cooking time, while Peking duck takes two to three days, so I decided to test my concept of cooking duck legs in a nonstick pan over medium heat with a weight on the top. Curious? Continue with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

one duck leg, about one pound

four garlic cloves

two and a half ounces of French unsalted butter

two twigs of rosemary

one tablespoon of French thyme

salt and pepper

Wash the duck leg under cold running water and pat it dry. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and set it aside for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Place the duck leg, skin side down, and rosemary twigs in a nonstick pan and turn the heat to medium. Loosely cover it with foil and place a Dutch oven on top of it. Yes, the weight! The trick is to balance the Dutch oven on top of the duck leg. Let it cook for eight minutes.

Flip the duck leg, place back the foil and the Dutch oven, and let it cook for five minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and flip back to skin side down. Add butter, garlic, and thyme. Once the butter starts to melt, tilt the pan and baste the duck leg. Rapidly continue to baste for about ten minutes. 

Place the duck leg on a rack over a quarter sheet, and then in the oven for about five to ten minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Once out of the oven, let it rest for three minutes before serving with plum chutney on the side. Bon appétit!