I saw one of my older posts on another site, maybe pinterest? Anyway, it was honey mustard chicken with sweet potatoes http://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/honey-mustard-chicken-and-sweet-potatoes/ and I thought it was high time for some honey mustard something! I didn’t have chicken or sweet potatoes, but I did have some enormous duck legs and pretty little pears.
Honey Mustard Roasted Duck Legs with Pears
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 honey
1/4 cup mustard
4 duck legs
3 small onions, quartered
2 tbsp butter, melted
6 small pears, quartered
Lemon juice
Sprigs of thyme
Mix the shallots, butter, honey and mustard together. Loosen the skin on the duck legs to create a pocket and rub some of the mixture inside the pocket and all over the legs. Place the duck on a rack, skin side down, in a baking pan and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Reserve the rest of the honey mustard mixture for basting.
Toss the onions with the 2 tbsp of butter and place in a separate baking pan. Toss the pears with the lemon juice and set aside.
Place the duck legs in a 400 F oven for 30 minutes. Remove, turn and baste with the reserved mixture, then return to the oven, along with the onions for 30 minutes. Remove the onions and duck. Baste the duck, add the pears and thyme sprigs to the onions and return both to the oven for 15 minutes.
Wine suggestion: Fleurie
A fantastic combination pairing the duck with the pear, and I bet the mustard just lifted the dish way up.
Cheers
Marcus
Thank you Marcus. Honey mustard is one of my favorite combinations. I just realized that I haven’t done it for a while.
We never have duck here in KY at the regular grocery. I’d love to try your duck recipes. I wonder if chicken would be a decent substitute?
Hi Anna. This recipe should work with chicken as long as it’s not a Perdue type chicken (too soft or something), maybe a large free range. You would also want to decrease the cooking time to 45 – 55 minutes.
I love honey mustard in about anything. This is fantastic.
I do too, Greg. I was just so busy doing other cooking, I left my favorite behind. It’s also time for some liver, salmon and noodles. Not all together
Awesome, Rosemary. That looks delicious. It’s funny; I was looking at packets of duck legs this morning. They’re not actually that expensive. Perhaps It’s time I came up with a frugal way to prepare duck!
Thank you Frugal. You are right, duck legs are not that expensive and there is a lot of meat on one duck leg. I intend to recycle the left overs into salads and perhaps a mini duck pie, if my daughter doesn’t go for seconds
I hope that you manage to get that far! I hope we get to see the, inevitably beautiful, results.
If I find some duck.. I’ll be trying this recipe, it would be my first duck ever:)
I can’t wait to see how you like it. You’ll become a new duck convert
Beautiful photo and recipe. I would love to see you include the wine in your posts and photos
Thank you. Didn’t I include the wine?
just a snippet of the bottle…I am just always eager to see labels
Okay. I’ll see if I can work it in next time.
the dish blows me away and I am a big duck fan..I hope my comment was not taken critically it was more of a request into a radio show that I love kind of thing.
Not to worry. I think I understood
The duck and pears looks wonderful! I love, love, love duck legs. Also really like your tablecloth.
Thank you Michelle
Savory pears! I love it! They reminded me of a stuffing I do around the holidays that has pears, thyme, and sourdough. It’s good to remember that fruits are great with meat too!
Beautiful color on that duck leg!
Since coming to France, I have been using fruits as savories in the French way. Missed a good thing all these years.
I never tire of the honey/mustard combo. It is always yummy.
I love duck! It’s not that easy of an ingredient to get where I live unless you are a hunter or raise your own. I never thought of using honey mustard on duck before. Sounds delicious!
Thank you Tessa. I think the kind of duck you want is the kind that are raised. The wild ones make me think “dry”
Ya, the wild duck can be really dry. Not to mention that the “shot” can be an issue… I’ve learned that with wild duck it’s all about cooking low and slow.
Wow that duck looks perfectly cooked
Thank you rs. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside
Pear has some great advantage for women health. Very nice combination.
wow….just love duck legs, here is confit de pato, I’d tried lots different ones but with pears is my favourite!!!!!!!
This is the first time I’ve made duck with pears and I have to say, I like it.
I know for sure is delicious…..your posts is always great and yummy:)
Thank you Katy.
I must try this recipe, duck with pears. That will be a first one for me, and I love duck,
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