Weigh the duck legs and sprinkle with 15g of salt per kilo on a
tray and sprinkle with the thyme. Wrap and place in the fridge
overnight.
Heat a heavy pan until warm and add the duck legs and duck fat
to cover totally.
Bring the fat to a gentle simmer and cook slowly for about 2½
hours until very tender then remove from the fat and place on a
roasting tray, draining off the excess fat.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ Gas 4.
Whisk the honey and oil together and smear over the duck
legs.
Roast the legs in the oven for about 20 minutes, spooning the
honey glaze over the legs 2-3 times.
Method for butter bean mash
Place the potatoes and butter beans into a saucepan and bring
to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Drain and add the olive oil and milk and mash to a puree.
Season with salt and white pepper.
Method for butter bean and tomato compote
Heat a deep sided frying pan until hot and add the olive oil,
onions and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add the thyme, tomatoes and white wine and bring to the boil,
then reduce the heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until
thickened.
Add the beans and simmer for a further 15 minutes, season with
salt and black pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.
Method for red wine sauce
Heat a frying pan until hot and add half the butter and
onions.
Sauté the onions until they are well browned then add the stock
and red wine.
Simmer the sauce until it has reduced by half and slightly
thickened, then pass through a sieve.
Whisk the butter in and season with salt and black pepper.
To serve
Place a spoonful of the bean mash in the centre of the plate,
top with the duck confit, place a spoonful of tomato beans on the
side and serve with the sauce spooned around.