Duck Confit Carnitas with...Duck Confit Carnitas with Blackberry-Ancho Mole

Crispy, tender duck leg confit served over a rich, velvety blackberry-infused ancho chile mole, garnished with quick-pickled red onions and fresh micro-greens.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Season the duck legs evenly with the coarse sea salt and crushed Mexican cinnamon. Let cure at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Preheat your oven to 225°F (110°C). Melt the duck fat in a heavy, oven-safe Dutch oven. Submerge the seasoned duck legs completely in the fat. Cover and cook in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat is meltingly tender but not falling apart.

3. 03

   While the duck cooks, toast the dried ancho and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl, pour hot chicken stock over them, and let rehydrate for 15 minutes.

4. 04

   In the same skillet, sauté the chopped white onion and minced garlic with a tablespoon of duck fat until deeply caramelized and sweet.

5. 05

   Transfer the rehydrated chiles, soaking liquid, caramelized onions, garlic, fresh blackberries, and Mexican chocolate to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and velvety.

6. 06

   Strain the mole sauce through a fine-mesh chinois into a clean saucepan. Simmer gently over low heat for 10-12 minutes to thicken and deepen the flavors. Season with salt to taste.

7. 07

   Carefully remove the duck legs from the hot fat. Place them skin-side down in a hot, dry skillet over medium-high heat. Sear for 4-5 minutes until the skin is beautifully golden-brown and extremely crispy.

8. 08

   To serve, spoon a generous pool of the warm blackberry-ancho mole onto the center of each plate. Place a crispy duck leg on top of the mole, and garnish with pickled red onions, fresh blackberries, and micro-cilantro.