Serves 4

4 duck legs
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 level tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
handful thyme
250g mandarins, skin off
1 mandarin, skin only
1-2 mandarin leaves (optional)
2 fresh bay leaves
2 rosemary stems
½ bunch thyme
12 juniper berries, crushed
salt and pepper
250ml Coopers, Premium Light Ale or other
non-bitter beer

In a pan with a lid that can go into the oven, sear both sides of the legs without any fat in the pan. Remove the legs, leaving all rendered fat behind.

In the same pan add all the ingredients and bring to the boil, add the legs and cover.

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Cook in a preheated oven at 170C for at least 2 hours. Check from time to time, and add more hot stock if necessary. The legs should be very tender with the flesh easy to flake off the bones.

Check for seasoning, add a little more stock to make a loose sauce.

For garnish: cut two mandarins in half and put them cut side down on a very hot grill until they caramelise.

for the potatoes with pancetta and rosemary
1kg small potatoes
100g flat pancetta cut into cubes
2 stems rosemary, just the leaves
salt flakes
100g duck fat

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until just tender. Drain. Allow to cool slightly. Squash the potatoes between your hands.

Meanwhile, cook the pancetta cubes in a dry frypan until crisp. Remove from the heat. Add the rosemary and salt and set aside in a large bowl.

Place the duck fat in a roasting pan, then place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat. Remove from the oven, and very carefully add potato to duck fat and gently toss to coat. Return to the oven and roast, turning twice, for 45 minutes or until golden and crispy. Toss with salt and mix with the pancetta and rosemary.

This article first appeared in the October 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.