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Persian Duck Stew

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PREP TIME
10 min
COOKING TIME
220 min
TOTAL TIME
230 min
SERVINGS
8 servings
Dinner Persian
Persian Duck Stew
Ingredients
  • 8 duck legs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup water, or as needed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 6 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
  • 2/3 cup pomegranate molasses
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 cups walnut halves
Instructions
1
Preheat your stovetop by heating a substantial amount of vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over extremely high heat.
2
Place the duck legs, with their skin facing downwards, into the hot oil and cook until they develop a rich brown color on both sides, taking anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes for the first side and another 2 to 4 minutes for the second.
3
Carefully lift the duck legs out of the hot oil and transfer them to a serving plate; reserve the flavorful oils that have accumulated in the skillet for later use.
4
Pour fresh water into the same skillet and bring it to a rolling boil while using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that have accumulated at the bottom of the pan.
5
Remove the skillet from the heat source and set it aside for now.
6
In a separate pot, combine about 2 tablespoons of the reserved duck fat with some olive oil and heat it over a moderate temperature until it's hot and ready to use.
7
Add the sliced onion to this mixture and cook it until it turns a beautiful golden brown color, taking around 7 to 10 minutes for this process.
8
Add the spices - turmeric, cinnamon, and nutmeg - to the pot and stir them in until they release their fragrance, which should only take about 1 minute.
9
Pour the chicken broth, pomegranate molasses, honey, and any remaining water from the skillet into this pot; bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
10
Meanwhile, grind some walnuts into a fine powder using a food processor.
11
Heat the ground walnuts in a dry skillet over a moderate temperature until they release their fragrance, taking about 2 to 3 minutes for this process.
12
Stir the ground walnuts into the broth mixture and set it aside for now.
13
Carefully place the duck legs into this flavorful mixture, pressing them gently to make sure they're fully submerged.
14
Reduce the heat and let the duck legs simmer for a long time, taking around 3 to 4 hours for them to become tender and the juices to run clear.
15
To check if the duck legs are cooked, insert an instant-read thermometer into one of them and verify that it reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
16
Once the duck legs are cooked, bring the broth mixture to a boil and cook it until it reaches your desired consistency.
17
Finally, season the sauce with some salt and serve it over the cooked duck legs.