Three easy ways to cook duck

Any leftover duck can be torn into strips and will make a great winter salad with lentils, pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta cheese, a good olive oil and red-wine vinegar dressing, and some bitter greens such as rocket, dandelions, chicory and radicchio. Serves 4

You will need:

4 duck legs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

250g Puy lentils, briefly rinsed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 stick of celery, finely chopped (see my Top Tip, above)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

100ml red wine

400ml chicken stock, duck stock or vegetable stock

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6. Place the duck legs, skin-side-up, in a small roasting tray. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and roast them in the preheated oven for one hour or until the skin is a rich golden brown and the meat comes away from the bone easily.

2 While the duck legs are roasting, get on with the lentils. Put the Puy lentils in a pot and add about twice the volume of cold water. Bring to the boil on a medium heat, then drain the lentils and set aside.

4 Meanwhile, pour the extra-virgin olive oil into a saucepan on a low-to-medium heat, then add the finely chopped carrot, the finely chopped onion, the finely chopped celery, and the finely chopped garlic. Continue to cook the vegetables for 10-15 minutes or until they are very soft.

5 Next, add the Puy lentils you set aside earlier, and the red wine. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the wine has evaporated.

6 Pour in the chicken stock, the duck stock or the vegetable stock, whichever you’re using, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the Puy lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve straight away with the roasted duck legs, or reheat gently to serve.