Duck + Potato Chowder Recipe

Prep and brown

Pat duck legs dry and season lightly with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat, render duck skin: place duck legs skin-side down and cook 6–8 minutes until deeply browned and fat has rendered. Flip and brown other side 2 minutes. Remove duck legs to a plate, reserve rendered fat in pot.

Braise

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1/2 cup water to deglaze, scraping browned bits. Return duck to the pot, add stock, remaining water (1/2 cup if needed), bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise on low simmer 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes until meat is very tender and falling from the bone.

When done, transfer duck to a plate to cool slightly. Remove and discard bay leaf and thyme stems. Reserve braising liquid. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside 1/2 cup of shredded duck to fold into the finished chowder and reserve remaining shredded meat for extra servings or garnish.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook pecan smoked bacon until crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Chop bacon into 1/4–1/2-inch pieces when cool.

In the same Dutch oven used for braising (remove excess duck fat leaving about 2 tbsp combined fat from duck + bacon), melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sweat vegetables, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown at edges, 8–10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to combine, cooking 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste and create a roux. Gradually whisk in 3 cups of the reserved braising liquid until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add potatoes and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, 12–15 minutes.

Once potatoes are tender, add milk and cream and gently heat — do not boil — until the chowder is warm and slightly thickened, about 4–6 minutes. If the chowder is too thick, add additional reserved braising liquid up to 1 cup to reach desired consistency.

Stir in shredded duck meat (reserve a few pieces for garnish), chopped bacon, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste) and 3/4 tsp pepper. Simmer gently 3–5 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a splash (up to 1 tsp) of apple cider vinegar to brighten.

Finish with lemon zest and fold in most of the chopped parsley and scallion whites, reserving scallion greens for garnish.

Ladle chowder into warmed bowls. Top each bowl with reserved shredded duck pieces, crispy bacon bits, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and sliced scallion greens. Add a crack of fresh black pepper to taste and serve with crostini or crusty bread on the side.

Leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of stock or milk to loosen if needed.