Grilled Duck Legs With Frisee Salad

Name: Grilled Duck Legs With Frisee Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 duck legs; 1 duck liver; Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon Madeira or dry sherry; 8 slices French bread for croutons; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; 1 small head frisee (also called curly endive); 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste); 1/4 cup hazelnut oil; 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts; 2 tablespoons duck cracklings (optional)

By Moira Hodgson

Updated Oct. 10, 2023

Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 4(5)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: FOOD; If Only Ducks Were Sold in Parts

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

2duck legs
1duck liver
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1tablespoon butter
1tablespoon Madeira or dry sherry
8slices French bread for croutons
1tablespoon chopped parsley
1small head frisee (also called curly endive)

For the Dressing

1 to 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
¼cup hazelnut oil
¼cup toasted hazelnuts
2tablespoons duck cracklings (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Turn the legs skin side down. Cut along each thigh bone and remove it. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2
Remove the sinews from the duck liver. Season and saute in butter over high heat for three minutes. Pour in the Madeira or sherry and cook another minute. Mash the livers until smooth and set aside.
Step 3
Bake the bread in the oven for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
Step 4
Meanwhile, heat grill or broiler. Season the duck legs and broil for five minutes on the flesh side and eight minutes on the skin side.
Step 5
Spread the liver mixture on the croutons and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Wash and dry the frisee and place it in a salad bowl.
Step 6
Combine the lemon juice and hazelnut oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with hazelnuts and toss the salad in the dressing. Divide the salad between two warm plates, place a duck leg on each one and sprinkle with liver croutons around the side. Sprinkle with duck cracklings if you like.

Tips

This recipe is based on a dish from Jeremiah Tower's "New American Classics" (Harper and Row, $25).
Duck cracklings are made by baking the skin in a 350 degree oven until the fat is rendered and the skin is crisp. Cut it up to sprinkle on salads, pasta, sandwiches or omelettes.