Barney Desmazery’s Duck Parmentier

Having been an apprentice in the south-west of France, confit of duck would probably be my death row supper, but as I’ve no intention of facing that conundrum, I’ve plenty of time to enjoy it in dishes like this. One of the joys of internet shopping is that you can now get what was once seen as specialist foods like confit of duck delivered to your door in just a few days.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 75 mins
4 people

Used in this recipe

Ingredients

4 confit duck legs from a tin, reserve the duck fat
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 leek, halved, washed and finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
Large sprig of thyme
100ml (3½fl oz) red wine (optional)
300ml (7fl oz) chicken stock
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the potato topping

1kg (2¼lb) floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper), peeled and chopped
100ml (3½fl oz) milk
50g (2oz) unsalted butter
50g (2oz) Comté or Gruyère cheese, grated
freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Remove the duck legs from the tin, reserving the fat. Carefully peel off the skin from each leg and set it aside on a plate – you won’t need it for the filling, but don’t throw it away. Shred the meat from the bones and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the duck fat in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the carrot for about 10 mins until starting to soften, then add the leek and cook for 5 mins more then the shallot for a final 5 mins until all the veg is a happy softened mass. Stir through bay, thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Pour in the red wine, if using, and let it bubble for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly. Add the chicken stock, thyme, a pinch of sugar and some seasoning. Stir through the shredded duck and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened slightly and everything is nicely coated in the sauce. Stir through the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then spoon into a baking dish and set aside while you make the topping.
Put the potatoes into a large pan of salted cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10–15 minutes until tender. Drain and let them steam-dry in the pan for a few minutes.
Mash or rice the potatoes until smooth and stir in the milk, butter and half the cheese and a good grating of nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper. Spoon the mash over the duck filling, working from the edges inwards and smoothing or roughing the top to your liking. Scatter over the remaining cheese.
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. If you're using the duck skin, lay it flat on a small baking tray lined with baking paper. Pop it into the oven on a shelf above the pie and roast for 25–30 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp the season with flaky sea salt . At the same time, bake the pie until golden and bubbling at the edges. Let both rest for 5 minutes. Break the crispy duck skin into shards or crumble it over the pie just before serving.

Top Tips

Make ahead: The duck filling can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept chilled, or frozen for up to 3 months.
The mash can also be made ahead and reheated gently before assembling, or the whole dish can be put together and chilled or frozen.
Defrost overnight in the fridge before baking.
The duck skin can be crisped up at the last minute and scattered over just before serving for extra texture.

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