Easy Duck Rillettes

Yield 6 - 8 as an appetizer
RECIPE Ingredients
  • 6 Moulard duck legs
  • 1 ¾ cups dry white wine
  • Water, as needed
  • 1 bouquet garni (5 parsley sprigs, 3 celery leaves, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf, 5 whole cloves, and 10 peppercorns, tied in cheesecloth)
  • ½ head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
  • 3 carrots cut into 4 chunks each
  • 3 onions, quartered, stubbed with 16 whole cloves per onion
  • Pinch dried thyme
  • Pinch quatre epices (equal parts ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe notes
Make duck rillettes with our simple recipe and a few ingredients: wine, aromatic vegetables, and herbs. The best things in life are very often the simplest.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. Combine white wine, bouquet garni, garlic, carrots, onions, thyme, and quatre epices in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high eat. Add duck legs, and water to cover meat if necessary. Return to a boil, skim off scum, reduce heat, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and been replaced by duck fat, and the duck is completely tender when pierced with a toothpick, about 3 hours.
  2. Remove duck pieces with a strainer. The meat will fall off the bone. Discard skin and Debone duck with a fork, shredding meat into thin strips. In a large bowl, combine meat with fat and vegetables while still hot, discarding onions.
  3. Remove bouquet garni. Gently mix together season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a terrine, cover, and refrigerate at once. Let stand for at least 2 days.
  4. Bring to room temperature before serving.