Braised Duck Legs

I keep getting reminded that the simplest things can sometimes be the best.  Case in point was some braised duck legs.  The legs went into a hot skillet, skin side down and the heat went down to medium.  They browned for about seven minutes and were flipped over to cook for two minutes on the second side.  They came out of the pan and a veritable ton of chopped carrots, celery and onion went in the pan to sweat in the duck fat left from the searing.  They got a little higher heat to get a bit of browning, the duck was returned to the skillet and chicken stock was added to come part way up their sides.  A clove of garlic went in also.  The whole thing went uncovered into the oven for forty-five minutes.

The result was totally crisp duck skin over luxurious meat and pot veggies "to die for."  The stock reduced down to a syrup and was spooned over the duck.  Simple and delicious.  I had done a version of this several times but this was the first time I braised the legs uncovered and it truly elevated this dish.

The wine was a 2006 Louis Jadot Cote de Nuits Villages, Le Vaucrain.  You can read about it here since this was a second bottle to go with a very similar meal.  The wine was allowed to breathe for the entire time it took to cook the meal and it helped the wine to bloom much quicker than the first bottle.

2006 Louis Jadot Cote de Nuits Village Le Vaucrain.  13.5% alcohol and $30.