Tamarind Duck Legs With Dates and Almonds

Tamarind duck legs that are slowly roasted with a delicious dried mint, honey and tamarind glaze and cooked with onions, dates and almonds.

Whilst this recipe takes a while to cook, only around 15 minutes of the cooking time is spent actively cooking; the rest of the time you can chill out and drink in the aroma!

Slow Roast Glazed Duck Legs

I love cooking and eating duck; it is an ingredient that many folk think is difficult to cook. But nothing could be further from the truth!

In many ways, it is much more forgiving to cook than chicken, and I love it in everything from a classic duck with an orange sauce to more unusual dishes like my Thai duck curry, hoisin duck legs or my duck and plum stir fry.

These roasted tamarind duck legs are a real favourite in our house and make for a wonderful variation on classically slow roast duck legs.

It is a dish with a loose North African or Persian influence, a place where sweet and sour flavours are very much embraced in savoury food.

A classic and pretty traditional example of this is my fesenjan recipe a delicious walnut and pomegranate molasses stew.

This recipe combines duck with dates and almonds, which cook down low and slow with loads of onions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use tamarind concentrate?

In theory, yes, but you will need to be guided by the brand that you use. They are all different, and if you use too much, I find that it gives a recipe a metallic taste.

Add half of a teaspoon and have a taste and see where you are. The lack of "volume" also means that your glaze will not be as "generous" as pictured here, but the taste will be fine.

Can I cook this in advance?

Yes, this will reheat quite well, although the texture of the skin on the duck leg will change significantly; it will still taste good.

Reheat it in a moderate oven 160-170°C (320-340°F) until piping hot.

Can I use fresh mint?

In this recipe, I would not because the flavour is significantly different, and the fresh mint gets lost in the boldly flavoured glaze.

Can I cook this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot?

No, the glaze really does not work very well in a wet cooking environment; stick to roasting these glazed duck legs.

Serving Suggestions

I served these tamarind duck legs with a simple buttered couscous with a load of herbs, coriander in this case.

It works just as well with some simply cooked bulgur wheat or even a tabouleh salad.

You can even serve it with rice. I personally think that it works wonderfully with nutty wholegrain brown rice.

But the sauce is also great with potatoes, regular old spuds or sweet potatoes.

I've served this with wedges, my fried potatoes and even with sweet potato fries, and it has been great every time.

Equipment Used

I only mention specific 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.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Oven.
• 28cm or 11" frying pan or skillet.
• Mixing bowl.
• Small fine mesh sieve.
• Serving and stirring spoons.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.