Culinary Archive • Spec Card

Kačacie Stehno Confit, Dusená Červená Kapusta a Borievkové Jus

Slow-Cured Confit Duck Leg with Spiced Braised Red Cabbage & Juniper Jus

Mise en Place (Metric)

Duck Confit:

  • 4 Duck legs (bone-in, skin-on, ~250g each)
  • 30 g Kosher salt
  • 4 Garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 6 sprigs Fresh thyme
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 800 g Rendered duck fat (to submerge)

Braised Red Cabbage:

  • 700 g Red cabbage (cored, finely shredded)
  • 120 g Yellow onion (fine julienne)
  • 40 g Duck fat
  • 35 g Light brown sugar
  • 45 ml Apple cider vinegar
  • 150 ml Dry red wine (Cabernet or Pinot Noir)
  • 1 Granny Smith apple (peeled, coarse grated)
  • 1 Cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves

Juniper Jus & Service:

  • 400 ml Rich duck or dark chicken stock
  • 8 Juniper berries (lightly crushed)
  • 30 g Cold unsalted butter (to mount jus)
  • Splash of red wine vinegar

Method & Service Parameters

  1. Cure: Rub duck legs evenly with kosher salt, crushed garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Place skin-side down on a tray, cover, and cure in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
  2. Prep for Confit: Rinse cure off duck legs thoroughly under cold water and pat completely dry. Submerge legs in melted duck fat in a deep oven-safe dish.
  3. Slow Cook: Confit in a 110°C (230°F) oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until meat yields completely to a cake tester and pulls slightly from the bone. Cool in fat.
  4. Braised Cabbage: Melt duck fat in a wide pan, add sugar and caramelize lightly. Sweat onions until soft, add shredded cabbage, grated apple, red wine, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves. Cover and braise on low heat for 40 minutes until tender and glossy; adjust sweet-acid balance with vinegar and salt.
  5. Juniper Jus: Simmer stock with crushed juniper berries and a sprig of thyme until reduced to a rich coating consistency (~120ml). Strain through a fine chinois and mount with cold butter off heat. Season to taste and add splash of vinegar to brighten the jus.
  6. Service: Crisp duck skin in a dry oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat until mahogany and crackling, then flash in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 5 minutes. Plate over a neat mound of braised red cabbage and spoon glossy juniper jus around the base.