{"id":7331,"date":"2025-06-13T07:48:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/?p=7331"},"modified":"2025-06-13T08:17:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T22:17:57","slug":"duck-leg-with-cherry-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/index.php\/dinner\/poultry-dinner\/duck-leg-with-cherry-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A truly classic flavor pairing is Duck and Cherry. This amazing flavor combination is one of my favorite pairings to eat, with the fattiness of the beautiful Duck Leg enjoying the sweet, rich flavor of a Cherry Sauce. In this recipe we will show you how to make our Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce in what is a super-simple and tasty meal. Both the Duck and Sauce preparations are easy, making this a more-than-suitable meal for midweek when you\u2019re looking for some big flavors and something a little bit unique

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Making Crispy Duck Legs with Cherry Sauce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no surprise that there are two distinct components to this dish; the Duck, and the Cherry Sauce. The whole dish can come together in only 20 minutes which makes this such a wonderful dish to make. It\u2019s one of those minimal effort \/ maximum reward kind of dishes. Both components taste amazing on their own, and when combined, create the most delicious flavor profile. So, let\u2019s walk through how to prepare each component of this tasty dish

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We simply pan fry the Duck Legs until cooked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Duck legs are a remarkably simple cut of protein to prepare. There is less fat on the Duck Legs than the often more popular Duck Breast, which makes rendering it quite easy. There\u2019s less risk of having a fatty piece of Duck that isn\u2019t crispy when cooking Duck Legs, so you\u2019re almost assured of crispy skin every time (especially if you follow our recipe!)

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Perfectly
Perfectly cooked Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce. The Duck is so easy to cook, all you need is a frying pan!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

All you need to do is to place the Duck Legs skin-side down on a cold pan and then turn the heat onto low. The Duck will cook slowly, and the fat will render out as the skin becomes crispy. The slow cooking method will take about 20 minutes, by which time the skin is super crispy and the Duck is almost completely cooked

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like cooking fish, 90% of the Duck is cooked on one side. You simply flip it over to finish it off on the flesh side (and to get a nice caramelization on the flesh) and it\u2019ll be done. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your Duck. Once it reaches 135F, take it off the heat and allow it to rest for 7 \u2013 10 minutes

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funnily enough, when I started out developing this recipe, I was aiming to pan fry the Duck just enough to get the skin crispy and then finish it off in the oven. Surprisingly once the Duck skin was nice and crispy, the inside was almost completely cooked. I was happy with this, as it means less steps involved in perfecting the dish

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few extra tips to ensure extra crispy Duck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To get crispy skin you want it to be as dry as possible. So, like Duck Breast, we recommend leaving the Duck Legs on a plate in the refrigerator for 1 \u2013 2 days prior to cooking. Don\u2019t cover it, as the cool, dry air of the refrigerator will help to dry out the skin

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"drying
Drying out the Duck in the refrigerator helps to ensure beautifully crispy skin once it’s cooked<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You\u2019ll want to season the skin well with Salt. Salt draws out moisture in the skin, so add a generous amount of Salt before the Duck goes into the refrigerator. Finally, you can poke a few holes into the skin right before cooking it. Either using a sharp knife or a pin. This will help the Duck to render out. While not as important for Duck Legs as it is the Breast, I find it does help

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, cook the Duck at room temperature. This will ensure an even cook throughout. Your skin will be super-crispy by the time the flesh on the inside of the Leg is perfectly cooked. Ideally, I recommend bringing the Duck out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you begin cooking. Now onto the second step for our delicious Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce recipe

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making this amazing Cherry Sauce couldn\u2019t be easier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are so many sauce recipes that require a ridiculous amount of effort, ingredients, and time. Hey, we love a good Bordelaise Sauce<\/a> as much as the next person. However, sometimes you don\u2019t want to go to the effort of making a stock, turning it into a demi-glace, then adding it to a whole pile of other ingredients to make a delicious Sauce. The good news is this Cherry Sauce recipe only takes 10 minutes to make, not several days!

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Cherry
This delicious Cherry Sauce is so easy to make and is the perfect topping for this amazing Duck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The two main ingredients in our Cherry Sauce recipe are Cherry Jam \/ Jelly (basically good quality concentrated Cherry spread), and Red Wine. The ratios are pretty much equal parts Jam to Wine. For 2 people we used about 250ml of each, and we had loads of leftovers

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add a little bit of Butter to a saucepan over medium heat along with a finely diced Shallot. Once the Shallot starts to caramelize, add some Red Wine Vinegar and Red Wine. Cook that all down until the alcohol has burned off then add the Cherry Jam

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then all you need to do is cook it for about 5 minutes to allow the ingredients to come together. Unlike other sauces, I\u2019ve found that cooking the sauce for longer doesn\u2019t really change the flavor or texture. The Sugar in the Jam is going to give the sauce its body so there\u2019s no need for a long cook time to get the right consistency

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Crispy
Our Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce dish looks so beautiful on the plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Plating our Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce recipe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, you\u2019ve made the sauce while the Duck is slowly cooking or prepared it once the Duck is resting. Either way, this is an easy dish to bring both components together at the same time without the kitchen turning into a frantic mess!

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the Duck has rested and your Sauce is ready, all you need to do is plate the beautiful dish! Nothing beats the classic plating of a beautiful Duck Leg with a generous amount of that wonderful Cherry Sauce drizzled over the top

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a fancy presentation we finished the dish with some fresh Thyme and a sprinkling of Finishing Salt. The Thyme is optional but does add a nice freshness to the plate and helps cut through the sweetness. We also prepared some Roast Vegetables as a side, but really you can add whatever you like. Check out our Sides recipes<\/a> to find something nice to pair alongside your delicious Crispy Duck Leg with Cherry Sauce!

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n