Born in Eastern France, Daniel Galmiche worked at Le Gavroche under Michel Roux Senior, and has since enjoyed a diverse international career. He is now the proprietor of the Vineyard at Stockcross.
Method
Method for confit
Put the duck legs in a small tray, skin-side down.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme, cover with cling
film, press down and leave to marinate for 2-3 hours in the
fridge.
Preheat the oven to 130°C/ 250°F/ Gas 1.
Take the duck out of the tray discarding the marinade, rinse
under running cold water and dry on kitchen towel.
Put the duck in a large heavy-based casserole or cast iron pan
and pour the melted goose fat on top.
Cover with a lid or greaseproof paper sealed with foil, place
in the preheated oven and bake for 3-4 hours.
Remove from the oven, skin off any fat, cover with foil and set
aside. Alternatively, you can gently simmer the duck on the stove,
covered for 3-4 hours.
Brush the duck legs with the honey and pan-roast them skin-side
down in a non-stick pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until
crispy and golden brown. The honey will caramelize very quickly, so
be careful not to let it burn.
Method for lentils
Put the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring to the boil and skim the white foam from the surface.
Add the shallot, carrot, bouquet garni and garlic, reduce the
heat to low and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until al
dente.
Strain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, and
discard the shallot, bouquet garni and garlic, but leave the
carrots in.
Add the vinaigrette, the reserved cooking liquid and the
chervil.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. This
should give you a lovely salad.
To serve
Divide the lentils onto four plates, arrange the duck legs on
top and enjoy! Alternatively, arrange in a large pot to serve from
at the table. The texture and delicate flavours of this dish are
second to none.