Tuscan Braised Duck, Cheese & Rosemary Roast Potatoes, Cavolo Nero

Preheat the oven and brown the duck legs

Set the oven to 160°C/ 140°C (fan)/ 325°F/ Gas 3 and boil a kettle.

Season the duck all over with a pinch of salt, then add to a cold, dry, wide-based oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid. (Or use a frying pan and an oven-proof dish covered with tin foil later!). Cook for 6-7 minutes on medium-high or until browned all over and the fat has rendered.

Tip: brown the skin and render the fat to add flavour.

Once browned, transfer the duck legs to a plate and reserve the dish for later.

Prepare the vegetables and stock

Peel and finely dice the brown onion[s] and carrot[s] (skins on). Peel and slice (don't chop!) the garlic. 

Dissolve the beef stock cube[s] and Just Add Wine sachet[s] in 250ml [400ml] boiled water.

Soften the vegetables

Discard some of the oil from the oven-proof dish so you're left with just 1 tbsp [2 tbsp]. Return it to a medium heat.

Once hot, add the diced onion, carrot and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes or until starting to soften.

Once softened, add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, beef stock and a pinch of sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Braise the duck legs

Sit the browned duck legs, skin side up, over the sauce and cover with the lid (or tin foil!). 

Put the dish in the oven for an initial 1 hour 20 minutes or until the duck is tender and cooked through, and the sauce is thick and rich.

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Roast the potatoes

After 30 minutes, chop the waxy potatoes (skins on) into bite-sized pieces.

Add the chopped potatoes to a baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix up.

Put the tray in the oven for an initial 40 minutes or until starting to crisp.

Crispen the duck skin and finish off the potatoes

Meanwhile, strip the rosemary leaves from the stalks and chop finely.

Once the duck has been in for 1 hour 20 minutes, increase the temperature to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7 and remove the lid from the dish.

Sprinkle the rosemary and grated Italian hard cheese over the potatoes and cook everything for a further 10 minutes or until the duck skin and potatoes are golden and crispy.

Boil the cavolo nero

Meanwhile, re-boil a kettle.

Chop the cavolo nero roughly.

Add the cavolo nero and a pinch of salt to a pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted.

Drain and set aside until serving.