Duck Legs in Wine Sauce with homemade chicken stock – Dairy-free version

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade chicken stock ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the chicken, the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns and the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises during the first 15 minutes with a spoon.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Turn down and simmer gently 2.5–3 hours.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
3. 3
   Strain the stock.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 4
   Season the duck legs with the salt and black pepper.
2. 5
   Heat the wide pot over medium-high heat, without oil, and place the duck legs in it skin side down. When the skin browns, turn, brown the other side and remove to a plate.

   StoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Skin-on chicken browns without oil: the fat that melts from the skin fries it, and stays in the pot for the onion.

   💡What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
3. 6
   Heat the olive oil in the wide pot over medium heat.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
4. 7
   Add the onion and fry, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
5. 8
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
6. 9
   Add the wine and cook 3 minutes, until the alcohol evaporates.

   Stove

   💡Reduce the wine before the tomatoes: the harsh alcohol evaporates, leaving the concentrated flavor of the wine.
7. 10
   Add the stock and thyme and bring to a boil.

   Stove
8. 11
   Return the duck legs to the pot and add the rosemary.
9. 12
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 75–90 minutes.

   StoveLid
10. 13
    Take the duck legs out of the pot, raise the heat and boil uncovered, until the sauce is thick and concentrated.

    Stove
11. 14
    Add the canola oil to the sauce and stir until it melts.

    Stove
12. 15
    Serve with mashed potatoes.