Duck with apple and rosemary potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 large duck legs

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1¼lb (550g) baby new potatoes, halved if large

3 red-skinned apples, such as rome Beauty, halved, cored, and coarsely chopped

few sprigs of fresh rosemary

drizzle of olive oil

1 Savoy cabbage, halved, cored, and leaves coarsely chopped

pinch of crushed hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Method:

1 Prick the skin on the duck several times with a fork; do not puncture the meat. Rub the duck generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes, if you have the time, to help crisp the skin. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2 Heat a large frying pan, add the duck, and cook for 8–10 minutes or until it has rendered some of its fat and is golden all over. With a spoon, transfer the duck to a roasting pan. Add the potatoes and apples, sprinkle in the rosemary, drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the duck is crispy and the potatoes are golden, about 40 minutes–1 hour.

3 Put the cabbage in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 4–5 minutesuntil tender. Drain and keep warm. Add to the roasting pan during the last 10 minutes of cooking, and sprinkle with the pepper flakes. Transfer to a serving dish and pass red currant jelly at the table.

Cook’s Notes:

Duck legs respond well to slow cooking, but if you prefer to use duck breasts (they are sometimes more readily available, and are leaner), score the skin before cooking so it becomes crispy, and reduce the roasting time by half.

Duck with apple and rosemary potatoes