Braised duck legs with blackberries and celeriac mash
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Braised duck legs with blackberries and celeriac mash
The little bursts of blackberry sharpness in this super-simple, one-pot braise contrast brilliantly with the rich, gamey quality of duck
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
861Kcal
Fat
50gr
Saturates
18gr
Carbs
12gr
Sugars
8gr
Fibre
12gr
Protein
78gr
Salt
2.3gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- 80g smoked cubetti di pancetta
- 6 echalion shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 150ml red wine
- 250ml chicken stock
- 3-4 sprigs rosemary
- 225g blackberries
- 260g young spinach
For the mash
- 1 celeriac (approximately 600g in weight), peeled and cut into 2cm dice
- 750ml whole milk
- 100g Stilton, crumbled
Step by step
Get ahead
The braised duck can be made to the end of step 3 the day before. Simply reheat on the hob, adding the remaining blackberries at the end.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Heat a large, lidded ovenproof casserole over a medium heat and brown the duck legs for 10-15 minutes, turning so they colour all over (there’s no need to add fat; it will render from the duck legs as they cook). Transfer to a plate and remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the casserole.
- Add the pancetta and fry gently for 3-4 minutes until starting to crisp then add the shallots and garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the flour and cook for a further minute.
- Return the duck legs to the casserole and then add the red wine, stock, rosemary and half of the blackberries. Bring to a simmer and then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the celeriac mash. Put the diced celeriac in a pan and cover with the milk. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the celeriac is tender. Drain, reserving the milk and then mash or purée with a stick blender, adding in enough of the reserved milk until you get the desired consistency. Stir through the cheese until melted and then adjust the seasoning. Keep warm.
- Remove the duck from the oven and add the remaining blackberries. Season well and keep on a low heat until ready to serve. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in a pan or in the microwave. Serve the duck and sauce with the celeriac mash and spinach on the side.
