Ingredients

• 2 duck legs
• confited in their own fat
• homemade or from a can or jar
• 4 tbsp clear honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves stripped
• 310g/11oz mashing potatoes
• peeled and chopped
• 3 tbsp hot milk
• 120ml/4fl oz red wine
• 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
• 55g/2oz crispy seaweed
• small knob butter
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• To make duck confit
• take 2 duck legs and weigh them. Measure 15g of salt per 1kg meat and sprinkle the salt with fresh thyme over the legs. Store in a fridge for at least 12 hours. Melt duck fat (available tinned from delis) in a pan over a low heat and bring to a simmer. Place the chilled duck legs in the fat and cook very gently for 1½-2 hours
• do not boil. Take off the heat and leave to cool in the fat.
• Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Scrape the fat from the legs and place in a roasting pan. (Reserve the fat - it's good for roast potatoes or frying eggs).
• Whisk together the honey and oil and smear over the duck legs. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Roast the legs in the oven for about 20 minutes
• spooning the honey glaze over the legs 2-3 times.
• Meanwhile
• boil the potatoes in a pan of lightly salted water for about 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain
• then mash with a fork
• gradually beating in the hot milk
• butter and plenty of seasoning.
• Place the wine and stock into the saucepan
• bring to the boil and continue boiling until reduced by two thirds. Season well.
• Spoon the mashed potato onto the centre of warm serving plates
• sprinkle the seaweed around the mash and sit the duck legs on top. Scrape any meaty bits from the roasting pan and sprinkle over
• then pour over the reduced red wine sauce and serve immediately.