Duck Confit With White Bean Ragout

Start with the duck confit, and while that’s in the oven, you can get the other elements of this very approachable dish underway.

White Bean and Bacon Ragout

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large shallot (or 1 small white onion)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 rashers streaky bacon
• 1 dessertspoon flour
• 1 ½ cups Sauvignon Blanc
• 2 tins canellini beans (white beans)
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme (leaves only)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Finely dice the shallot and roughly crush garlic and add to saucepan with butter. Fry for 1 minute. Cut the streaky bacon into 2 mm thick strips and add. Cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes. Add flour to combine, then wine and beans with thyme leaves. Cook until mixture thickens and most of the liquid has disappeared.

Cherry jus

• 1/2 cup red wine (cabernet merlot ideal)
• 1 jar pitted whole dark cherries
• 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
• 1 cup beef stock

Add wine and brown sugar to a medium saucepan, put on high heat till comes to boil. Simmer for 1 minute to release alcohol vapour (if left in this will leave a mineral taste ) then add half the liquid from the cherries and bring back to boil. Reduce by half. Add beef stock and further reduce by half. Just before serving add half the jar of cherries and bring to boil, then cool.

And my duck confit is a lot simpler than traditional ones….

Quick Duck Confit

• Four duck legs
• Duck fat

Dry the duck legs with a paper towel, add to oven proof dish, cover with duck fat and cook on 130 degrees celsius for two to three hours until meat will easily part from the bone.

Then remove from fat, drain and cool. This can be done in advance. To serve, heat in oven till hot then switch oven to grill and cook until golden brown.
Wilted Spinach Pick and wash spinach. Bring a deep pot of salted water to boil and plunge spinach in for 15 to 20 seconds till wilted. Assemble as per picture.

Enjoy with a glass of red!