- Main
- French
- Make-ahead
- Sous vide cooker
- Oven
- Stovetop
- Adventurous
Good for, as AI judged the whole recipe.
Ingredients
For the duck
- 4
duck legs (whole leg-thigh, about 2 1/2 lb total)
- 1 tbsp
kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp
black pepper, coarsely ground
- 4 sprigs
thyme, leaves stripped
- 1
bay leaf, crumbled
- 3 cloves
garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp
duck fat or olive oil (optional)
For the lentils
- 4 slices
bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1
onion, finely diced
- 2
carrots, finely diced
- 1
celery stalk, finely diced
- 2 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups
lentils du Puy (French green lentils), rinsed
- 3 cups
chicken broth
- 1
bay leaf
- 1 tbsp
sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
Not checked: duck fat or olive oil, lentils du Puy (French green lentils).
Diets guessed by AI from the ingredients, not checked.
Steps
- Step 1
Pat the duck legs dry. Mix the kosher salt, pepper, thyme leaves and crumbled bay leaf in a small bowl, then rub it all over the legs. Put them in a dish or bag with the smashed garlic, cover, and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
12 hr, hands-off
- 4 duck legs (whole leg-thigh, about 2 1/2 lb total)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic
- Step 2
Set the sous vide cooker in a large pot or tub of water and heat it to 167°F.
15 min, hands-off · 167°F
- Step 3
Wipe the cure off the legs with a paper towel (don't rinse them). Seal them in a vacuum bag, or in a zip-top bag with the garlic and the duck fat, lowering the open bag into the water so the pressure pushes the air out before you seal it. Two legs per bag, skin side out, in a single layer.
10 min
- 4 duck legs (whole leg-thigh, about 2 1/2 lb total)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp duck fat or olive oil
- Step 4
Lower the bags into the water, clip them to the side so they stay submerged, and cook 8 hours. Cover the pot with foil or plastic wrap to slow evaporation and top up with hot water if the level drops.
8 hr, hands-off · 167°F
- Step 5
About 45 minutes before serving, start the lentils. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until the fat renders and the strips are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until softened, about 6 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
15 min
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 cloves garlic
- Step 6
Add the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly cover, and cook until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 25 to 30 minutes. If they look dry before they're done, add a splash of water; if there's loose liquid at the end, simmer uncovered a minute or two.
30 min, hands-off
- 1 1/2 cups lentils du Puy (French green lentils)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Step 7
Fish out the bay leaf. Stir in the sherry vinegar and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add a little more vinegar if you want it brighter. Keep warm off the heat.
2 min
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
- salt
- black pepper
- Step 8
Set an oven rack about 6 inches under the broiler and turn the broiler to high. Lift the legs from the bags and pat the skin very dry with paper towels (save the fat and jelly in the bag for roasting potatoes). Lay them skin side up on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
10 min
- 4 duck legs (whole leg-thigh, about 2 1/2 lb total)
- Step 9
Broil until the skin is deep brown, blistered and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Stay at the oven and watch them the whole time: duck skin goes from golden to burnt fast. Let the legs rest 5 minutes.
6 min
- Step 10
Spoon the lentils onto warm plates and set a duck leg on each, skin side up.
5 min
Where it’s from
Written by AI from an idea
Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026