Ágnes Heimann of Heimann Family Estate shares the secret of a true winter recipe. As she comments: “Most people have eaten duck leg made in different ways, but to my belief confiting suits the best. The tiny details have special importance regarding quality.” Confiting means cooking slowly at law temperature covered with fat. Another advantage of this process is that we can prepare the meal in advance and we can adjust the last touch – baking it until crispy – to the arrival of the guests.
See the recipe below the photo.

The wine: Heimann & Sons Baranya-völgy Kékfrankos 2018/2019

The wine is a perfect match for this hearty meal. The fruits, the vibrant acidity and the soft, not excessed tannins elevate the dish as an ideal partner. “Abundant in fruit both on the nose and the palate – sweet berry fruits and some pepper coming from the stalk. Pleasantly ethereal, easy to drink, extremely pure. Natural wine but not in the extreme sense. Easy to drink, smooth wine with lovely, long finish.”
More about the wine

Confit duck or goose leg with roasted potato and braised cabbage enriched with verjus and fruits

Preparation of the meat
– Rub 4 duck or goose legs with some salt and place them in a deep cooking bowl or tray.
– Add some cloves of garlic, onion slices and rosemary.
– Heat 1.5 litres fat and pour it onto the legs. The fat must cover the meat.
– Place the tray into the preheated oven and cook it for 2.5–3 hours at 130 C. The lower the temperature is, the more time the meat need to become tender. It is worth checking after 2 hours.
– When the meat is soft and tender, take it out and place it on a shallow baking tray (so that we can grill it before serving).
– Filter the fat and keep it for future use. It is lovely when spread on a slice of bread! 

Preparation of the cabbage
– Cut a kilo of cabbage into thin slices.
– Cut an onion into slices, too.
– Heat 2 tbs sugar in a frying pan on a little duck fat (Ágnes does not like it dark, she caramelizes lightly).
– Add the onion and a pinch of salt.
– When the humidity evaporates, add the sliced cabbage and a little verjus (verjus = the juice of the green grapes). If there is no verjus, a good quality vinegar or wine vinegar will do.
– When the cabbage is a bit steamed, add some prunes and cook it for 10 minutes more.
– At the end add some peeled and sliced apple and cook it just for a few minutes.
– When you turn off the heat, the cabbage still goes on softening. There is no need for any liquid, it can evaporate. We want crispy, ‘al dente’ cabbage.

Preparation of the potato and serving
– Cut the potatoes into cubes, salt and mix it with some duck fat.
– Place baking paper into a tray and add the potatoes.
– Cook them for 25–30 minutes at 200 C in an air stirring oven.
– Before serving, place the duck legs into the same oven, besides the potatoes for 15 minutes until the skins become golden brown and crispy. Be careful not to overcook them.
– Serve it with the heated cabbage.