One particularly chilly weekend (yes, we have those here every once in a while), I needed a dish that would be opulent and soul-satisfying. At first, duck braised in red wine came to mind. But, I wanted something even more intense and a little bit sweet, and I arrived at Banyuls, a fortified wine from the south of France. Extracted from grenache grapes grown on the rocky, terraced vineyards that overlook the sea, Banyuls is classically paired with chocolate and has deep notes of chestnut, mocha, and dried fruit. As the duck and Banyuls cooked together slowly in the oven, the deeply concentrated wine permeated the meat and produced a rich ruby broth. A gratin of turnips and potatoes dotted with prunes and baked with cream proved the perfect companion for the tender, falling-apart duck bathed in crimson juices.

　　

Ingredients

6 large duck legs, 8 to 10 ounces each

　　1 tablespoon thyme leaves, plus 6 whole sprigs thyme

　　Zest of 1 orange

　　1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 1/2 cups diced onion

　　1/2 cup diced fennel

　　1/2 cup diced carrot

　　1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

　　2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

　　2 cups Banyuls

　　3 to 4 cups chicken stock

　　1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　Turnip-parsnip gratin with prunes (recipe follows)

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Turnip-Parsnip Gratin with Prunes

1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled

　　1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled

　　About 2 cups heavy cream

　　1 tablespoon thyme leaves

　　1/3 pound pitted prunes, quartered

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Trim the excess fat from the duck legs. Season them with the thyme leaves, orange zest, and cracked black pepper. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 3

Take the duck out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. After 15 minutes, season the legs on all sides with 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt.

　　

Step 4

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Place the duck legs in the pan, skin side down, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. (If your pan is too small to fit all of the legs, brown them in batches or in two pans, so you don’t crowd them.) Turn the duck legs over, reduce the heat to medium, and cook 2 minutes on the other side. Move the duck, skin side up, to a braising pan. (The duck legs should just fit in the pan.)

　　

Step 5

Discard half the fat, and return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, carrot, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the crusty bits.

　　

Step 6

When the vegetables are nicely browned and caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar and Banyuls. Turn the heat up to high, bring the liquid to a boil, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until it has reduced by half. Add 3 cups stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer 5 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Pour the broth and vegetables over the duck, then scrape the vegetables that have fallen on top of the duck back into the broth. The liquid should not quite cover the duck (add more stock if necessary). Cover the pan very tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven about 2 1/2 hours, until the duck is very tender.

　　

Step 8

To check the duck for doneness, carefully remove the lid and foil, and pierce a piece of the duck with a paring knife. If the meat is done, it will yield easily and be tender but not quite falling off the bone.

　　

Step 9

Turn the oven up to 400°F.

　　

Step 10

Carefully transfer the duck to a baking sheet and return it to the oven to brown for 10 to 15 minutes.

　　

Step 11

Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the top layer of fat from the sauce. If necessary, reduce the broth over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, to thicken it slightly. Taste the juices for seasoning.

　　

Step 12

Transfer the duck legs to a serving platter. Spoon the juices over the duck, and scatter the parsley leaves over the top. Serve with the turnip-parsnip gratin with prunes.

　　

Turnip-Parsnip Gratin with Prunes

Step 13

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 14

Use a mandoline to slice the turnips and parsnips into 1/16-inch-thick rounds, and put them into two separate bowls.

　　

Step 15

Pour 1/2 cup cream onto the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) gratin dish. Place one layer of turnips on the bottom of the dish. (The turnips should overlap by about half.) Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Scatter a third of the prunes on top. Arrange a layer of parsnips over the turnips and prunes. Press the parsnips down with your fingers, letting the cream soak up through the layers. This will ensure that the cream is evenly distributed and coats the vegetables well. Drizzle with 1/2 cup cream and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a healthy pinch of pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme.

　　

Step 16

Arrange another layer of turnips and drizzle another 1/4 cup cream over them. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme. Scatter a third of the prunes on top and continue with another layer of parsnips. Drizzle on 1/2 cup cream and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Press the vegetables down with your fingers, allowing the cream to come up through the layers and coat the vegetables evenly.

　　

Step 17

Finish the gratin with one more layer, this time of both parsnip and turnip slices, arranging this layer nicely, since it will be the top of your gratin. Scatter the remaining prunes over the top. Drizzle with 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the remaining teaspoon thyme. Press the gratin down with your fingers again. The cream should cover the potatoes but not be too soupy. Add more cream if the gratin seems dry.

　　

Step 18

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake about 1 1/2 hours, until the vegetables are tender when pierced. Remove from the oven and carefully uncover. Turn the oven to 425°F and return the gratin to the oven. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is nice and golden brown (as in “gratinéed”).

　　

Note

Step 19

You can braise the duck a day ahead, just remember it has to marinate at least 4 hours first. Make the gratin in the morning, then reheat and gratinée just before serving.

　　Sunday Suppers at Lucques[by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber. Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Goin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved..Suzanne Goin graduated from Brown University. She was named Best Creative Chef by Boston magazine in 1994, one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine in 1999, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She and her business partner, Caroline Styne, also run the restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles, where Goin lives with her husband, David Lentz.Teri Gelber is a food writer and public-radio producer living in Los Angeles.](http://astore.amazon.com/epistore-20/detail/1400042151)