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Chef John's Duck Adobo

4.6
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PREP TIME
15 min
COOKING TIME
140 min
TOTAL TIME
155 min
SERVINGS
6 servings
Dinner Filipino
Chef John's Duck Adobo
Ingredients
  • 6 duck legs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sambal chili paste, or other hot pepper sauce to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
Instructions
1
Duck legs should be sprinkled with salt and black pepper to enhance their flavor.
2
Heat a generous amount of oil in a substantial, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Place duck legs, skin-side down, and cook until they develop a rich brown color, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the duck legs from the skillet and set them aside; discard all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil.
3
Sauté an onion in the reserved duck fat over medium heat until it begins to soften and become translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add minced garlic; cook and stir until the aroma is released, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth, vinegar, soy sauce, chili paste, and bay leaves; bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
4
Return the duck legs to the skillet, loosely cover it, and let it simmer until the duck legs become tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, approximately 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
5
Uncover, increase the heat to high and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes; season with salt and black pepper according to your preference. Discard the bay leaves before serving.