Slow Roast Duck Legs with Balsamic Vinegar Gravy

Slow roast duck legs, with perfectly golden crispy skin, soft and moist meat and a delicious and simple silky balsamic gravy.

This dish takes around 3 hours to cook, but you only spend 10-15 minutes or so at the cooker; the rest of the time is all yours!

Slow-Cooked Duck Legs

If you have spent any time here, you will know that duck is an ingredient that I adore cooking with.

Whether it is my whole roast duck, classic duck with orange sauce or even my Indian duck curry, they are among my personal favourite recipes.

Slow-cooking duck helps render out all that white fat, and it does not matter whether it is duck breast, like in my Thai duck curry or the legs, like my hoisin duck legs!

It is such a simple way of cooking too, a nice low oven, season the duck legs and roast them for two and a half hours. Then turn up the heat to get some colour and get the gravy rocking and rolling.

Oh, and what a gravy it is, again it sticks with the simple approach, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and honey.

This is reduced down in the oven, and all you have to do is thicken with cornflour (cornstarch in the US). I use a very similar approach in my roasted chicken leg and chicory recipe.

This dish is perfect dinner party food; it can be scaled up for as many people as you like, and so long as your oven is big enough, there are no timing changes.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Will this method work with chicken legs?

No, chicken has nowhere near enough fat to cope with this type of cooking. Treat yourself to some duck legs, you will love this!

How long will the skin stay crispy?

The skin will remain nice and crispy for around 15-20 minutes. It will then start to go kinda chewy, which I secretly love!

Can I cook this recipe for more people?

Yes! In fact, this recipe is perfect for scaling both up and down. You do not need to alter the cooking time at all.

One thing you must do, though, is to make sure you do not overcrowd your roasting tin. Leave a good two-finger space between each duck leg.

Also, if you are cooking a lot, a good hint is to place the duck legs on a wire rack so that they do not get submerged in fat.

Is the rendered fat good for keeping?

Oh yes! This is perfect for passing through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and using in cooking at a later date. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge and use at your leisure.

If kept properly, it will last up to 6 months, but good luck resisting for that long!

Serving Suggestions.

Cooking for two means that often times a large roasted dinner is a bit of overkill.

These slow-roast duck legs are absolutely perfect for turning into a smaller roast dinner.

This time round, I made some crushed roast potatoes. I popped them in the oven for the final 30 minutes of cooking at the lower temperature and the 30 minutes at a high temperature. Make sure to parboil them first!

I also made some savoy cabbage with bacon, although I dropped the Crème Fraiche and cooked it in white wine rather than stock.

They would be awesome with red cabbage, roasted parsnips, garlic green beans, I'd even serve them with Yorkshire puddings!

Essentially anything you would have with your traditional Sunday lunch.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Oven.
• Roasting tin or baking dish, choose one that is just a little larger than the duck legs.
• Mixing bowl.
• Measuring jug, cups and or spoons.
• Kitchen tongs for serving.
• Fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, to strain the duck fat so that it can be stored.