Lafitte Frozen Duck Legs for Roasting

A duck leg gives you a substantial, deeply savoury piece of meat to cook around. The appeal of roasting is the contrast you can build: a browned outside, meat that yields pleasantly to the fork, and juices with enough character to make the potatoes part of the attraction.

Garlic and thyme are natural companions in the roasting dish, adding fragrance while the duck supplies the savoury centre. A little tart fruit on the finished plate can make the next mouthful feel fresh again. You can take the meal towards apples and root vegetables, or keep it simple with potatoes and a green salad.

These raw legs are supplied frozen for you to prepare, so the seasoning and the shape of the meal are yours to choose. That is a good reason to pick this cut when you want the kitchen to smell like dinner long before you sit down. Select the individually weighed pack for your recipe, follow its cooking instructions and give the accompaniments a little thought. The oven can take care of much of the atmosphere.

• Garlic, thyme and potatoes: Use a roasting recipe suited to raw duck legs, following the pack’s instructions. Serve with potatoes and some of the cooking juices. Garlic and thyme give the dish a fragrant, savoury direction without needing an elaborate sauce.
• Apple and a fresh salad: Add roasted apple wedges or a small spoonful of tart apple compote, then bring a green salad to the table. The fruit and acidity give the duck a welcome change of pace between mouthfuls.
• A country loaf alongside: Serve TPK&B Country Classic Sourdough Bread for the last of the juices. A few roasted carrots or parsnips make the meal feel generous, with very little needed on the plate beyond the duck itself.

Lafitte’s duck repertoire makes a useful distinction between legs for roasting and legs for confit. A prepared confit arrives with a particular cooking tradition already behind it. A raw roasting leg leaves you the pleasure of choosing the herbs, the vegetables and the direction of the meal.

That freedom can be wonderfully simple. One weekend you might want garlic and thyme, another a little apple and something sharper in the sauce. The cut gives the meal its savoury weight while the accompaniments change around it. It is an inviting way to make duck part of your own kitchen: choose a recipe you enjoy, let the oven warm the room, and bring out a dish that smells as good as it looks.

Keep frozen. Follow the pack’s thawing, handling and cooking instructions.