Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
Serves 2
2 duck legs
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 large shallots, halved
1 cup dry red wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock
4–5 sprigs thyme
Egg noodles, cooked according to instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove excess fat from duck legs and pat dry. Using a skewer, gently prick the skin all over, avoiding the meat. Season legs with salt and pepper, and rub all over.
In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, sear the legs for 10–12 minutes until crisp. Turn over and cook for 2–3 additional minutes. Transfer legs to a platter, and pour off all but 1–2 tablespoons of fat.
Using the same skillet over medium-high heat, sauté mushrooms and shallots until brown, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up bits stuck to the skillet. Return the legs to the skillet, skin side up, nesting them among the mushrooms and shallots. Add enough stock to almost cover the meat, leaving the skin exposed. Tuck thyme sprigs around the meat.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 1 ½ hours until the meat is tender. Remove legs to a serving platter and keep warm. Skim off any excess fat from the sauce. Adjust seasoning as required. To serve, arrange legs over noodles and spoon on sauce. Garnish with additional thyme leaves.