This dish takes some organising but I promise it’s worth the time and effort! You need to start preparing the duck legs the day before serving. You will have created a wonderful complex of rich flavours - a fitting meal for a special occasion, and a special wine.

This recipe has been supplied by the Bridge Restaurant in Bendigo as a food pairing for Pondalowie Vineyards ‘MT’ Tempranillo.

Serves 4

For the cabbage:
Half red cabbage, remove any dry outside leaves and shred fine
2 red onions, finely sliced
2 granny smith apples, cut into 1cm dice
4 dried figs, de-stemmed and diced
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cinnamon quills
2 star anise

To prepare the cabbage:
Place all of the ingredients into a heavy based pot with a lid. Mix well, cook over a medium heat for approx 1 hour, stirring regularly. When most of the liquid has cooked out and the cabbage is slightly jammy it’s ready.

To prepare the cotechino:
1 small cotechino – available from a good continental butcher or gourmet food supplier

Place the sausage in a pot big enough to cover with water. Add in the rough dice of 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 celery sticks, ½ bulb of garlic, thyme and two large pinches of salt.

To prepare duck legs:
4 duck legs approx 200 – 240gms each, and thigh boned removed
6 sprigs of thyme
8 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
3 tbs salt flakes
500g duck or goose fat or 500ml light olive oil

Place the garlic, thyme and salt flakes into a bowl. Rub the mixture thoroughly together. Put the duck legs into a deep baking dish, add the salt mix and again, rub the mix, but this time into the duck legs so that it covers all over. Cover and place in fridge for 24 hours.
Remove the duck legs from the marinade, discard the thyme and garlic, wipe off excess salt and place into a baking dish.
Heat the duck fat until it is quite hot and pour over the duck legs until all is covered with the fat. Cover with foil and slow roast at 130 degrees in a pre-heated oven for approx 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until tender. It is important the heat is not too high as they will fry rather than slow cook. Let cool in the duck fat, remove carefully and place, skin side up, on a baking tray. Place under hot grill to crisp and brown the skin.

To assemble:

Place two spoonfuls of the cooked red cabbage into the centre of the plate and a slice of the cotechino on top. Rest the duck on the sausage and dress with the saba dressing and garnish with watercress sprigs.

Wine accompaniment: Ideal with the Pondalowie Vineyards ‘MT’ Tempranillo!

More about Tempranillo

Duck is a rich and flavoursome meat and it can be used to make wonderful dishes to accompany robust flavoursome red wines.

This dish is a suggestion to accompany Tannat, a grape variety known for making full bodied and distinctive red wines in the South West of France. It has been provided by Sam Miranda.

The idea behind this food pairing suggestion is that a full flavoured wine is needed to accompany a hearty and flavoursome meal.

You will need
* 240gm pancetta finely diced
* 1kg lean duck meat, coarsely chopped
* 60ml olive oil
* 240ml Symphonia Tannat
* 2 red onions diced
* 10 shallots diced
* 5 garlic cloves, crushed
* 250gm hedgehog mushrooms (small orange sponge like mushrooms similar to tex)
* 1kg canned, peeled roma tomatoes in juice, roughly chopped
* 4 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
* 120ml double cream

Method

* Heat a large frying pan over a medium – high heat. Add half of the olive oil pancetta and duck. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until will browned.
* Deglaze the pan with the Tannat and remove from the heat.
* In a medium sized pot add remaining oil and sauté onion, add mushrooms, shallots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add duck mixture to the pot.
* Transfer contents of the pan to the pot, and add the tomatoes, herbs and enough water to just cover.
* Bring to slow simmer and cook in a loosely covered pot for 1 and a half hours or until meat is very tender.
* Add cream and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste and serve with freshly cooked gnocchi.
Suggested wine: 2004 Symphonia Tannat.

Symphonia is an innovative winery in Victoria’s King Valley. It is well known for pioneering new varieties into the North Eastern Victorian wine region.

Sam Miranda of Symphonia wines says

“This great winter’s meal is best served with the Symphonia Tannat; it’s a match made in heaven. The high acidic content of the Tannat makes an excellent contrast to the fat content of the duck dish.”

More information about Tannat