Roast duck on a bed of Puy lentils, served with braised red cabbage and buttery mash. Impressive looking, utterly delicious, but actually really easy to make!
Inspired by lunch…
This elegant, yet super simple meal was inspired by lunch out at a local gastro pub, where my husband had duck confit on a bed of lentils which had been cooked in beef stock. I loved the combination and I just knew it would go brilliantly with my braised red cabbage and soft buttery mashed potatoes.
Keeping things easy peasy…
To keep things easy peasy, I simply roasted the duck with just a little salt and pepper, and used a pouch of ready prepared Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils, but if you prefer to do the lentils from scratch, cook them in the stock and add a bay leaf for extra flavour. I used a Kallo Organic Beef Stock Cube to make the beef stock – the flavour is delicate enough not to overpower the duck (something I find can happen with other brands). I was actually surprised just how well the stock went with the duck.
To make things even quicker…
If you haven’t got time to make the braised red cabbage, serve the duck, lentils and mashed potato with savoy cabbage and / or tenderstem broccoli instead.
One small problem…
There is one small problem with this meal: the red cabbage and duck cook at totally different temperatures. The solution is either to use two different ovens or, if that is not an option for you, make the red cabbage ahead of time and reheat it. It reheats so easily, just place in a saucepan with 100ml of boiling water and cook until piping hot (about 5 minutes).
A great festive meal…
This would make a great Christmas Eve dinner. And, as a bonus, you will have already cooked the red cabbage ready for Christmas day, since my recipe for braised red cabbage serves 12. This meal would go brilliantly with a Pinot Noir from New Zealand or Chile.
Roast Duck with Lentils, Red Cabbage and Mashed Potato
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- 250 g pouch ready-to-eat puy lentils
- 200 ml beef stock
- 1 kg potatoes
- 500 g braised red cabbage
Instructions
- First make the red cabbage. You can find the instructions here.
- When the red cabbage has 1 hour 20 minutes left to cook, preheat your other oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
- Stab the duck legs all over using a fork or a sharp knife and sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper. Rub the salt and pepper all over the duck legs.
- Place the duck legs in a roasting tray and put the tray in the oven for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, turn the oven up to 220C. Roast the duck for a further 10 minutes (50 minutes in total).
- While the duck is having its final 10 minutes, peel and chop your potatoes and put them on to boil.
- After the duck has had a total of 50 minutes in the oven. Remove the duck from the oven and place in a clean roasting tray. Cover loosely with foil. Don’t wash up the duck roasting tray. Allow the duck to rest for 15 minutes.
- While the duck is resting, put the stock in the duck roasting tray and bring to the boil. Tip in the ready prepared lentils and bring back to the boil. Turn off.
- Mash the potatoes with a little butter, salt and pepper and then serve the duck on a bed of lentils and stock with mashed potatoes and red cabbage on the side.
Notes
Pin Roast Duck with Lentils for later
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Corina says
I would love this as I love duck and lentils. Unfortunately my husband isn’t keen on either so I rarely get to cook duck which is such a shame.
Eb Gargano says
Oh what a shame! You’ll have to make it when he’s out!! 🙂
Honest Mum says
I love duck and lentils so much, this looks delicious! Oh wow, stunning little edible santas, deck and wreath. Your home is beautiful and you are so talented. Windy here too although it’s been hot for Dec! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Vicki! Having this on Christmas Eve this year. Excited about it already 🙂 Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
Eb that looks and sound so good! We have been having more and more lentil meals so this is a must try! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year x
Eb Gargano says
Thank you – it really is lovely! I hope you have a really good Christmas and new year too! Eb x
Corina Blum says
It sounds really delicious! We often had duck when I was growing up as I lived on a farm and we used to keep ducks but these days I rarely get to have it unless I’m out somewhere. My daughter is horrified at the idea of eating ducks as she says they’re her favourite animal so I don’t think I’ve got a chance of getting my family to eat it! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice anyway though x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Corina – I love duck, but it’s strangely underrated in this country. Not sure why – maybe lots of people are like your daughter!!?? We often have duck at Christmas as it’s so delicious, it tastes like a real treat! Eb x
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
I don’t eat enough duck…or lentils! This looks like such a tasty and comforting Autumn dish. The duck skin looks so crispy and inviting 🙂 x
Eb Gargano says
They are seriously underrated in this country and I really don’t know why – both so tasty! Yes!! I love it when the skin gets all crispy like this 😀 Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Ahhhhh, this looks like an ideal Date Night/Comfort Food mashup. I love braised red cabbage, but I haven’t eaten it in years: thanks for the reminder! And duck is a huge fave of mine that we never seem to eat often at all. So this entire meal is defo happening in the near future!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Michelle 😀 Ooh yes – I totally agree about date night. It fits the bill perfectly – easy to make but tastes really special 😀 I’d love to know how you get on if you make this! Eb x