Classic rustic duck parmentier

Serves - 4 to 6

You’ll need

• 4 duck legs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• 1 bay leaf
• 150ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

For the mash topping
• 1kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 75g butter
• 100ml milk, warmed
• 50g Gruyère or Comté, finely grated, optional
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Cook the duck gently

Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Season the duck legs with salt and black pepper. Put them skin-side down in a casserole or ovenproof pan over a medium heat and let the fat render slowly for 8–10 minutes until the skin is golden and a good amount of fat has come out. Turn them over, then lift them onto a plate. Pour off most of the fat, leaving just enough in the pan to cook the onions. Keep the rest for roast potatoes another day if you know what is good for you.

2. Start the base

Add the onion to the pan with a small pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for another minute, just until fragrant. Stir in the chicken stock and Dijon mustard and bring it to a gentle simmer.

3. Braise the duck

Return the duck legs to the pan, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the duck is very tender and coming away from the bone without much persuasion. You are after meat that wants to collapse rather than anything still trying to put up a fight.

4. Make the mash

Towards the end of the duck cooking time, put the potatoes into a large pan of well-salted cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15–20 minutes until tender, then drain well and leave them to steam dry for a minute or two. Mash with the butter and warm milk until smooth enough but still with a bit of body. Stir in the cheese if using, then season well with salt and black pepper.

5. Shred the duck

Lift the duck legs from the pan and leave them until cool enough to handle. Discard the skin if you like, or chop a little of it into the filling if you want to lean further into the rustic part of the brief. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it into generous pieces. Discard the bay leaf.

6. Build the filling

Return the shredded duck to the pan and stir it through the oniony juices. Let it cook for a minute or two so everything comes together properly. Stir through most of the parsley and have a taste. It should feel rich and savoury, but not dry. If it looks as though it wants loosening, add a small splash more stock.

7. Assemble the parmentier

Spoon the duck mixture into a baking dish and spread it out evenly. Top with the mashed potato, roughing the surface up slightly with a fork so you get plenty of crisp golden bits later. A smooth top is all very neat, but the scruffy ridges are where the good things happen.

8. Bake until golden

Turn the oven up to 200°C fan. Bake the parmentier for 25–30 minutes until piping hot and golden on top. If it needs a little more colour at the end, give it a few minutes under the grill, but keep an eye on it.

9. Serve

Leave it to sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. Scatter over the remaining parsley and bring it to the table while the top is still crisp and the filling underneath still properly rich and comforting. A sharply dressed green salad alongside would not hurt at all.

A couple of helpful notes
- If you want to get ahead, make the duck filling in advance, then top with the mash and bake when needed.
- A little grated nutmeg in the mash works very well if you want a slightly softer, more old-school finish.
- This is a good place to use duck confit if you have it, though the from-scratch version does have a lot going for it.