Every time we have friends over for dinner, the first thing that I think of is being able to create and serve great tasting home-cooked dishes, paired with the right kind of wine.
Being wine lovers, we always want to make sure that we do not disappoint our guests with our pairings. Yes, elegant, complicated and extravagant as it may seem, but matching food with wine can be made simpler and worry-free. And because we have hosted and attended a good number of gatherings, private dinners, and potlucks with friends and family, we have learned that the easiest way to pair pinots and entrees is to start with simple recipes first.
This roasted duck recipe does not require a lot of ingredients and procedures. In fact, you can start by cleanly cutting up your duck legs using your portable meat slicer and then work your way through the cooking process using very few simple and flavorful ingredients.
Wine Pairings for Cooking Duck
Before we start with the recipe, here are some of the best types of wine that you can use to pair your duck recipes with.
These need not be expensive. You just have to keep in mind that the best wine to cook with is the kind that you also enjoy drinking. But if there is one go to wine for cooking duck, Pinot Noir is definitely the one that you need.
Here are some wines that you can also consider when cooking duck:
- Pinot Noir
- Barolo
- Merlot
- Chianti or any Tuscan Red Wine
- Madiran
- Marcillac
- Bandol and Mourvedre
- Beaujolais
Simple and Elegant: Roasted Duck Leg in Red Wine with Braised Apples
Roasting duck can be a bit tricky, but this delicious recipe will prove that not only will you be able to cook duck meat properly, you’ll also learn that a good quality Pinot Noir pairs best with type of meat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of duck legs
- 1 bunch of fresh rosemary
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 2 medium red or green apples, sliced into wedges
- 1 tsp. of five spice powder
- 1 and ½ cups of Pinot Noir
- 1 and ½ tbsp. of red currant jelly
- Salt to taste
- 1 large orange, sliced into wedges (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C. or 375 degrees F. You can also use your pellet smoker to pre-cook your duck before you roast the legs in the oven.
- Season the duck legs with five spice powder and salt. Create a single layer or bed of rosemary, garlic, and apples in a roasting tray or pan. Place each duck leg on top.
- Place in your preheated oven and roast for 1 hour.
- While the duck legs and apples are roasting in the oven, combine the red wine and red currant jelly in a small sauce pan and mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and stir constantly to make sure that the jelly has completely dissolved and the sauce is a bit runny.
- Take the duck out of the oven and remove most of the excess duck fat. Pour the red wine sauce around the duck and roast for another 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced.
- Strain the sauce to make a clearer au jus. Set aside.
Plate the dish by placing 1 duck leg on a plate together with a few pieces of roasted apples. Pour the sauce over the duck and top with a roasted or fresh sprig of rosemar
Notes:
- This recipe is also great with other types of meat such as a leg of lamb or some beef shanks.
- Things you Need:
- Oven
- Roasting rack or tray
- Sauce pan and spatula
- Tongs
- Knife and cutting board
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 473
Fat: 20 grams
Saturated Fat: 6 grams
Cholesterol: 101.3 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 48 grams
This dish is a great way to prove that wine and meat can create harmonious music together.
This Guest Post was written by Olivia Rose of MyKingCook.com exclusively for Social Vignerons.
Please let me know your thoughts