Duck rilette
This snack board favourite is easier to prepare than you might think – all you need are duck legs and a few simple ingredients.
Makes 1kg potted duck, enough for 2 medium sized jars
6 duck legs, confit
1 bunch fresh thyme
1L duck stock
zest and juice of 1 large orange
3 fresh bay leaves
5 star anise, plus 2 extra
2-4 tbsp duck fat
salt and pepper
Start several hours ahead of time, or even the day before to make the confit legs. Heat a frypan to very hot. Pan fry the duck legs, without adding fat to the pan, until golden on both sides.
Place into an oven proof dish with half the bunch of fresh thyme, the stock, half the zest and all the juice. Pop in the bay leaves and 5 star anise. Add water or more stock if the legs are not completely covered.
Cover tightly and braise at 160C for at least 2 hours. At the end of this time, the flesh should shred easily with a fork. Remove the legs and set them aside to cool.
You might like
In the meantime, remove as much fat as possible from the braising liquid and reduce the remainder to a sticky glaze.
When the legs are cool enough to handle, shred all the flesh off the bones and mix with the leaves only of the remaining thyme leaves, zest, and enough duck fat and reduced glaze to moisten the meat and make it creamy.
Mix well and season with salt and pepper. If too dry, add more of the reduced pan juices. Press firmly into ramekins and top with 1 cm duck fat and one star anise.
The potted meat will keep for up to two months in the fridge if there are no air pockets and it is well covered in duck fat.
This article first appeared in the October 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
