Duck Night – Quack! – Dining With DINKS

Crunchy skin.
Tender, melty meat.
Silky sauce packed with vegetables.
And a final, vibrant punch of gremolata.
This duck dish is everything it’s supposed to be, without all of that greasy, scary duck fat. Going into this I was afraid my stomach would have to handle a fatty grease bomb, but not even close. The trick, it seems, is roasting the duck legs separately until the skin is crispy and most of the fat rendered. The juicy legs do get a final bath in the sauce, but then you can pull out trick number two: skim the sauce with a slice or two of bread to soak up any fat pooling on the surface. Works like magic. The only change I made to this recipe was to substitute chopped fennel for the celery as that is all I had on hand. Served it over brown rice and paired it with a Napa cabernet.