Servings: 6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 6 to 7 hours on low, plus 10 to 15 minutes to reduce the sauce
Ingredients
- 6 raw duck thighs, skinless and trimmed of fat
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, cut into 3-cm pieces
- 250 ml (1 cup) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 180 ml (¾ cup) orange juice
- 125 ml (½ cup) dry red wine
- 120 g pitted prunes
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) tomato paste
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 orange, zest finely grated
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Season the duck legs with salt and pepper. In a hot skillet, brown the legs in oil, cooking in batches if necessary. Transfer them to the slow cooker and remove the excess fat from the skillet.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onions and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, then continue cooking for 1 minute. Deglaze with the red wine and let it boil for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release the cooking juices.
Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth, orange juice, thyme, and bay leaf. - Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the duck meat falls off the bone easily and its internal temperature reaches at least 74 °C (165 °F).
- About 1 hour before the end of cooking, add the prunes to the slow cooker and continue cooking, covered.
- Carefully remove the duck legs and the bay leaf. Carefully skim the fat from the sauce, then transfer it to a saucepan. Reduce over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce reaches a slightly syrupy consistency.
- Stir the orange zest and red wine vinegar into the sauce. Adjust the seasoning as needed, then spoon the sauce over the duck legs before serving.
