Crispy Braised Duck Legs with Orange Chipotle Sauce

What’s cooking, you ask?  I decided to cook duck. Never even eaten duck before – not even the overly fried Chinese Restaurant kind in questionably orange sauce. I had planned to broil duck breasts but the only ones I could find around here were frozen and cost $24 for two breasts. Really?! Then, I saw some duck legs that were fresh, not frozen and only $10 for 4. Now we’re talking! I was only momentarily put off by the duck heads with beaks next to them. Yikes. I grabbed my duck legs and ran! 

The orange chipotle sauce was a reduction that was pretty spicy on its own but much more subtle when on the duck.

I made this dish with a yellow and red heirloom tomato salad on a romaine leaf. This is actually a lovely summer dish – fresh cherry tomatoes and sweet yellow tomatoes, mandarin oranges, toasted pine nuts (nope! didn’t burn them!), slivers of mozzarella with a drizzle of EVOO and balsamic vinegar. 

I also added a cornbread sage dressing. 

Very tasty dish and easy to make. The duck legs were very crispy outside and tender, juicy inside.  I’ll definitely make this one again. 

I’ll be posting the recipes and process photos for all three of the dishes and the sauce on the blog soon. Good eats, all!  = Kate