Duck with Plums and Coleslaw
British cooking worked out long ago that duck wants sour fruit beside it, and plums do the job more precisely than orange — they give up juice without collapsing. Searing the pieces in a dry, properly hot pan with no oil is not optional: that is how the fat under the skin renders and how the skin takes on color before it ever meets the wine.
Then comes an hour and twenty minutes at 340°F (170°C), and the low temperature is deliberate. Duck legs and wings are full of connective tissue that needs time to melt into gelatin; the acidity of the wine and plums helps it along, while the honey reduces into a sticky sauce you should spoon back over the bird every 20 to 25 minutes.
Worth knowing
- Choose firm, slightly underripe plums — soft ones dissolve into puree over an hour in the oven.
- Dress the slaw right before serving; salted cabbage weeps quickly and thins the dressing.
- The powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar in the US, icing sugar in the UK) dissolves instantly, which granulated sugar will not — it stays gritty in a cold dressing.
Part of British cuisine — 10 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Cut the duck into small pieces and sear it to a golden color in a well-heated pan without oil.
Pour the wine into a roasting dish, add the halved plums, honey, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs, and stir. Place the duck and the coarsely chopped bacon in the dish and put it in an oven preheated to 170°C (340°F) for 1 hour 20 minutes. Periodically take it out and baste the duck with the juices it releases.
While the duck roasts, make the salad. Cut the cabbage, onion, and apple into thin strips, and chop the green onion. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and powdered sugar. Dress the vegetables with the mixture and toss.
Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes (it will become more tender). Serve with the salad.
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