Duck legs make a richly flavoured, hearty goulash soup – the meat is delicious spooned up with the chunks of carrot, celeriac and mushroom, and a spoonful of sour cream gives a creamy finish. For a complete meal in a bowl, add some potato dumplings flavoured with onion and garlic.
Ingredients
3 duck leg joints, about 375 g each, skinned
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 capsicums, 1 red and 1 green, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, diced
125 g celeriac, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons paprika
¼ teaspoon caraway seeds
1½ tablespoons plain flour
1 bay leaf
1 litre chicken stock, preferably homemade
500 g tomatoes, diced
¾ cup (15 g) mixed dried mushrooms, rinsed well to remove all grit, then chopped
1 cup (90 g) sliced fresh mushrooms
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons sour cream or Greek–style yogurt
chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Sprinkle the duck legs with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a heavy–based non–stick frying pan, add the duck legs and brown on both sides.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the wine and boil for 5 minutes or until it is reduced by about half.
Remove from the heat and reserve.
Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan.
Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions are softened.
Add the capsicums, carrot and celeriac, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the paprika and caraway seeds, and cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables.
Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes.
Add the bay leaf, stock, reserved wine mixture, tomatoes, dried and fresh mushrooms, cayenne pepper and parsley.
Stir well to mix.
Add the duck legs.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until the duck is tender.
Remove the duck legs from the soup.
Take the meat off the bones in large shreds.
Return the meat to the soup.
Check the seasoning.
Ladle the soup into bowls.
Garnish each with a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt and some parsley.
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