Tamarind duck legs that are slowly roasted with a delicious dried mint, honey and tamarind glaze and cooked with onions, dates and almonds.
Whilst this recipe takes a while to cook only around 15 minutes of the cooking time is spent actively cooking, the rest of the time you can chill out and drink in the aroma!
Slow Roast Glazed Duck Legs
I love cooking and eating duck, it is an ingredient that many folk think is difficult to cook. But nothing could be further from the truth!
In many ways, it is much more forgiving to cook than chicken and I love it in everything from a classic duck with an orange sauce to more unusual dishes like my Thai duck curry, hoisin duck legs or my duck and plum stir fry.
These roasted tamarind duck legs are a real favourite in our house and make for a wonderful variating on classically slow roast duck legs.
It is a dish with a loose NorthAfrican or Persian influence, a place where sweet and sour flavours are very much embraced in savoury food.
A classic and pretty traditional example of this is my fesenjan recipe a delicious walnut and pomegranate molasses stew.
This recipe combines with duck with dates and almonds, that cook down low and slow with loads of onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use tamarind concentrate?
In theory yes, but you will need to be guided by the brand that you use. They are all different and if you use too much I find that it gives a recipe a metallic taste.
Add half of a teaspoon and have a taste and see where you are. The lack of “volume” also means that your glaze will not be as “generous” as pictured here, but the taste will be fine.
Can I cook this in advance?
Yes, this will reheat quite well, although the texture of the skin on the duck leg will change significantly, it will still taste good.
Reheat it in a moderate oven 160-170°C (320-340°F) until piping hot.
Can I use fresh mint?
In this recipe, I would not because the flavour is significantly different, and the fresh mint gets lost in the boldly flavoured glaze.
Can I cook this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot?
No, the glaze really does not work very well in a wet cooking environment, stick to roasting these glazed duck legs.
Serving Suggestions
I served these tamarind duck legs with a simple buttered couscous with a load of herbs, coriander in this case.
It works just as well with some simply cooked bulgur wheat or even a tabouleh salad.
You can even serve it with rice. I personally think that it works wonderfully with nutty wholegrain brown rice.
But the sauce is also great with potatoes, regular old spuds or sweet potatoes.
I’ve served this with wedges, my fried potatoes and even with sweet potato fries and it has been great every time.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Oven.
- 28cm or 11″ frying pan or skillet.
- Mixing bowl.
- Small fine mesh sieve.
- Serving and stirring spoons.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
Yield: 2 Servings
Honey and Tamarind Glazed Duck Legs Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Tamarind and Honey roast duck legs are slowly cooked with a mountain of onions flavoured by sweet dates and almonds, a dish for those that like a bit of sweetness with their savoury meals.
Ingredients
- 2 Duck Legs
- 25g (25mm or 1" Cube) Tamarind pulp
- 25ml (2 Tbsp) Boiling Water
- 20g (1 Tbsp) Honey
- 1 Tsp Dried Mint
- ½-¾ Tsp Salt
- 500g (3½ Cups) Onion
- 50g (⅓ Cup) Blanched Almonds
- 75g (8-10) Pitted Dates
- 1 Tbsp Zaatar Herb Blend
- 175ml (¾ Cup) Chicken Stock
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Dry the duck legs with kitchen paper.
- Place the tamarind in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water and give it a mash. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes and then pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Whilst the tamarind is soaking Cut the onions in half, peel them and then cut them into half moon shapes around 10mm (½") thick.
- Cut the pitted dates into bit-sized pieces.
- Once you have pushed the tamarind through a sive mix it with the honey, dried mint and around half of the salt.
Pierce the skin of the duck with a sharp knife all over, you do not want to puncture the flesh, just the skin. Pay particular attention to any fatty areas of the duck. - Place the duck on a plate and pour over the tamarind mixture and coat thoroughly.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" oven proof pan or skillet over a medium high heat and when it is hot add the olive oil.
- Throw in the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until the begin to go golden and soften.
- Add the dates, almonds, zaatar and chicken stock and give everything a stir.
- Place the duck legs on top of the onions and brush over any of the remaining glaze from the plate, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook at 170°C or 340°F for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour turn up to the heat to 200°C or 400°F and cook for a final 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 727Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 1909mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 11gSugar: 51gProtein: 37g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
