Confit duck tacos with corn & mushroom salsa recipe
Confit duck legs are a brilliant convenience food: Half the work of making a delicious meal has been done. All you need to do is reheat the duck leg to a temperature where the meat falls apart at the touch of a fork and the skin is golden. Classically, they are served on lentils, in a white bean stew or with sautéed potatoes, but that flaking, unctuous meat and crisp skin also make an ideal taco filling – the only other components required being a piquant salsa, zippy sauce and a garnish or two.
TIP: You can find confit duck legs at some butchers or supermarkets.
TIP: It’s easy and quick to make your own corn tortillas from masa harina (corn flour). Alternatively, they’re increasingly available already pressed. Cool Chile Co and many delicatessens sell both masa harina and tortillas.
If making your own tortillas, simply mix 350g (12oz) masa harina with 500ml (17floz) just-boiled water. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes, then divide the dough into 25–30g (0.8–1oz) balls, giving each one a quick knead before squashing into 8cm (3 inch) circles using a tortilla press (you could use a rolling pin, but a press is best). Cook in a dry pan over a medium-high heat for 45 seconds, flip and cook for another 30 seconds then repeat with the next tortilla.
Recipe from THE BOROUGH MARKET COOKBOOK by Ed Smith, published by Hodder & Stoughton, £25. Photography by Issy Croker.
Ingredients
- 1 sweetcorn cob (around 200g/7oz kernels)
- 120 g small girolle mushrooms
- 75 ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 1 mild red chilli, very finely diced
- 45 ml cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- 1 sweetcorn cob (around 200g/7oz kernels)
- 4.2 oz small girolle mushrooms
- 2.6 fl oz cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 1 mild red chilli, very finely diced
- 1.6 fl oz cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- 1 sweetcorn cob (around 200g/7oz kernels)
- 4.2 oz small girolle mushrooms
- 0.3 cup cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 1 mild red chilli, very finely diced
- 0.2 cup cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- 4 confit duck legs
- 4 limes, quartered
- 3 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp chipotle powder (or ½ teaspoon each sweet smoked paprika and chilli powder)
- 12 ready-made (or homemade – see tip) corn tortillas
- 10 sprigs of coriander/cilantro, leaves picked
- 4 confit duck legs
- 4 limes, quartered
- 3 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp chipotle powder (or ½ teaspoon each sweet smoked paprika and chilli powder)
- 12 ready-made (or homemade – see tip) corn tortillas
- 10 sprigs of coriander/cilantro, leaves picked
- 4 confit duck legs
- 4 limes, quartered
- 3 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp chipotle powder (or ½ teaspoon each sweet smoked paprika and chilli powder)
- 12 ready-made (or homemade – see tip) corn tortillas
- 10 sprigs of coriander/cilantro, leaves picked
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Duck
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 60 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Make the salsa in advance (it will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge) or at least an hour before serving. Cut the kernels from the cob. Set to one side. Brush any mud from the girolles with a damp cloth.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the rapeseed oil in a saucepan over a high heat. Add the girolles, season with flaky sea salt and black pepper and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sweetcorn kernels and cook for a further 90 seconds, then transfer to a small container.
- While the mushrooms and sweetcorn are cooking, combine the red chilli, the remaining oil, the vinegar, garlic, sugar and a pinch of salt. Pour this over the warm mushrooms and corn, then leave to cool and pickle.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
- Arrange the confit duck legs skin side up in a shallow baking tray and cook at the top of the oven for 45 minutes until crisp.
- Squeeze two of the lime quarters into a bowl and combine with the yogurt and chipotle powder; set aside. Warm the ready-made tortillas in a dry frying pan 5 minutes before the duck legs are ready, storing them in the folds of a clean tea towel to keep them warm and pliant.
- Flake the meat from the duck legs and break up the crisp skin. Add a dollop of chilli-lime yogurt to the centre of a taco, some meat, skin, a generous spoon of salsa, and garnish with a few coriander/cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime. Napkins are necessary.
This recipe is from THE BOROUGH MARKET COOKBOOK by Ed Smith, published by Hodder & Stoughton, £25. Photography by Issy Croker.
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