High-protein duck legs with chestnuts, pears and thyme

High-protein duck legs for St Martin's Day, braised with chestnuts, pears, onions and thyme in poultry stock. A St Martin's Day dinner with 36 g of protein per serving.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 100 min
• Total time: 115 min
• Calories: 492 kcal per serving
• Protein: 36 g
• Fat: 22 g
• Carbs: 33 g

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• 2 onions
• 300ml poultry stock
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 pears
• 250g cooked chestnuts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch of pepper

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · casserole dish · chopping board · knife · grater

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C (150 °C fan). Rub the duck legs with salt and pepper and fry them skin side down in a casserole for 8 minutes, until the fat runs.
2. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat. Cut the onions into wedges and fry them in the casserole for 3 minutes.
3. Lay the legs skin side up on the onions, pour in the stock, add the thyme and cook everything in the oven at 170 °C for 60 minutes.
4. Quarter the pears and remove the cores. Arrange the pears and chestnuts around the legs and cook everything for a further 25 minutes at 170 °C.
5. Take out the legs, skim the fat off the braising liquid, reduce it in a pan for 5 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the legs with the pears, chestnuts and sauce.

Good to know

A duck for St Martin's Day doesn't have to spend all day in the oven: legs braise in a good hour and a half. Chestnuts and pears cook in the juices and are the side dish too. Braised red cabbage with apple and potato dumplings go well with it.

Swaps

Duck legs → goose legs (30 minutes longer). Chestnuts → parsnips. Pears → apples. Thyme → rosemary.

Cooking tips

Save the poured-off duck fat for fried potatoes. The legs are done when the meat comes away easily from the bone.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge; reheat in the oven at 180 °C for 20 minutes.

Allergens

Gluten-free, no milk, egg or nuts; poultry stock may contain celery. Suitable for children and in pregnancy – cook the meat right through.

Frequently asked questions

How long do duck legs keep in the fridge?

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge; reheat in the oven at 180 °C for 20 minutes.

Dairy-free recipes