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Vickys Seared Duck Legs with Pear and Cranberry Gravy
Vickys Seared Duck Legs with Pear and Cranberry Gravy

Before you jump to Vickys Seared Duck Legs with Pear and Cranberry Gravy recipe, you may want to read this short interesting healthy tips about Learn How to Improve Your Mood with Food.

In general, people have been taught to think that “comfort” foods are not good for the body and have to be avoided. Sometimes, if the comfort food is candy or some other junk food, this holds true. Other times, though, comfort foods can be altogether healthy and it’s good for you to eat them. There are some foods that actually can boost your moods when you consume them. When you feel a little down and are in need of an emotional boost, test out some of these.

Make a few trail mix of nuts or seeds. Your mood can be improved by eating peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etcetera. This is possible since these foods are high in magnesium which increases your production of serotonin. Serotonin is a feel-good substance that dictates to the brain how to feel at any given point in time. The more you have of it, the better you will feel. Nuts, in addition to raising your mood, can be a great source of protein.

As you can see, you don’t need to eat junk food or foods that are bad for you just so to feel better! Try some of these tips instead.

We hope you got benefit from reading it, now let’s go back to vickys seared duck legs with pear and cranberry gravy recipe. You can cook vickys seared duck legs with pear and cranberry gravy using 14 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you cook that.

The ingredients needed to make Vickys Seared Duck Legs with Pear and Cranberry Gravy:
  1. Get 2 duck legs, skin on
  2. You need salt
  3. You need ground black pepper
  4. Get olive oil
  5. Get 3 shallots, finely chopped
  6. You need 2 clove garlic, finely chopped
  7. Take 180 ml white wine
  8. You need 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  9. Provide 480 ml strong chicken stock - you may need more or less depending on the size of your pot
  10. You need 6 sprigs of thyme
  11. You need 1 bay leaf
  12. Provide 4 tbsp dried cranberries
  13. Prepare 2 pears, peeled and cubed
  14. Take sugar
Steps to make Vickys Seared Duck Legs with Pear and Cranberry Gravy:
  1. Score the fat on the duck legs - cut 3 lines one way and 3 intersecting lines the other way so you end up with a diamond pattern. Don't cut into the meat, only score the fat. Rub some salt and pepper all over the legs and a little olive oil
  2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, cook the duck legs, skin/fat side down until crisp and browned, about 4 - 6 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side for 2 minutes. There will be fat released from the duck legs in the pan now. Remove the legs and allow to rest on a plate for a few moments
  3. Add the garlic and shallots to the duck fat in the pan and allow to cook for one minute. Pour in the wine and balsamic vinegar. Scrape up the bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and allow the liquid to boil and reduce for a minute or two
  4. Add in the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, chopped pears and cranberries and stir together. Put the duck back into the pan, skin side up, along with any juices from the resting plate
  5. Add the stock, but don't allow the liquid level to go above the duck legs or else you'll end up with soggy skin instead of it being nice and crispy. Bring to a boil and then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook at a low simmer for 90 minutes uncovered
  6. Remove the legs and skim as much of the fat off the top of the gravy as you can– a lot will have risen to the top
  7. Press the sauce through a sieve and mash down the pear, garlic and shallots to get as much of the flavor out as possible. Return the gravy to the pot and boil for 3 minutes to thicken it. Add a bit of sugar if it's too bitter for your taste and skim any more fat off the top
  8. Plate the duck with the gravy and some mash or roasted potatoes. I also served with balsamic roasted pears, recipe link below - - https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/349562-vickys-balsamic-roast-pears

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