Not French, but sort of French: Braised Duck Legs with Sauerkraut and Apple

Duck legs are braised in a mix of sauerkraut, apples and shallots for a rustic, satisfying, cold weather meal. Recipe below.

THE FRANCOPHILE IS AT IT AGAIN. This recipe is not authentically French or even French-inspired, but built from French longing. It started when my colleague Brian brought some chocolate confections back from Paris.

The confections in question were Angelina Crispy Crêpes, delicate little crisp crêpes coated in dark chocolate, with individual golden wrappers proclaiming Angelina, Depuis 1903. As I bit into my first one (yes, I had more than one), I had the reaction I often have with my first bite of anything French: hmmm, this is good… followed immediately by ohmigod, this is incredible. In this case, buttery, not-too-sweet chocolate perfection.

With that first bite, I was totally in the mood to cook something French this week. Not crêpes—certainly not flaky little crêpes dressed in chocolate. I wanted something savory and, inspired by cool fall temperatures, something hearty. Duck.

Interestingly, a quick search for French duck leg recipes turned up one of ours, red-wine braised duck legs. But it also gave me duck legs braised with sauerkraut and apples. The recipe made no claims of Frenchness, but there it was, sounding wonderful. Further searching turned up nothing more, but the French do know their way around sauerkraut dishes—choucroute garnie, anyone?

So I created my own recipe, adding shallots, herbes de Provence and white wine to the mix. Was it particularly French? Probably not. But it was French in spirit, in the way that some of my favorite French recipes are—a handful of well-chosen ingredients and a balance of flavors. The tartness of the sauerkraut, softened by long cooking, the sweetness of the apples and the meaty, fatty richness of the duck.

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Braised Duck Legs with Sauerkraut and Apple

Duck legs are braised in a mix of sauerkraut, apples and shallots for a rustic, satisfying, cold weather meal.

Course Main Course, Poultry

Cuisine French-inspired

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 whole duck legs, about 1/2 pound or so each (see Kitchen Notes for other meat choices)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 good-sized shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound good quality sauerkraut, drained (see Kitchen Notes)
• 2 apples, peeled and sliced (we used Galas)
• 1 cup dry white wine

Instructions

• Pat the duck legs dry with paper toweling and season on both sides with salt, pepper and about 1/3 of the herbes de Provence.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high flame. Add the duck legs skin side down and cook undisturbed until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the duck legs and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the duck to a plate.
• Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining herbes de Provence and cook, stirring continuously, for about 45 seconds.
• Add sauerkraut, apple slices and wine to the pan, stirring to combine. Nestle the duck legs into the sauerkraut mixture, skin side up, and bring the sauerkraut mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pan and cook until duck is tender, about 1 hour. Check occasionally to make sure too much liquid doesn't evaporate. Add a little water, if needed—I didn't need to do this.
• Taste sauerkraut apple mixture and adjust seasoning, if needed, with salt. I found it needed only a little, so do taste before salting. Spoon the mixture into two shallow bowls, top with duck legs and serve.

Kitchen Notes

Duck substitutes. We are big fans of duck here, but you can also substitute whole chicken legs or thighs, or pork chops. You can cook these for a shorter time, 30 to 40 minutes once you start the braising process.

Don't skimp on the sauerkraut. None of the canned stuff pickled in vinegar. Ideally, you want fermented sauerkraut sold in the refrigerator case; the ingredient list should be cabbage, water and salt. One brand we like a lot is Bubbies, available at Whole Foods, among other places.