Duck Confit Wellington Recipe

If using store-bought confit

Remove duck legs from packaging and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place legs skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and spoon 1/4 cup melted duck fat over each. Roast 12–18 minutes until skin is crisp and meat is heated through. Reserve drippings for the jus if desired.

If preparing confit from scratch (advance step, ~24–48 hours)

Rub duck legs with kosher salt and pepper and optional aromatics; cure refrigerated for 12–24 hours, rinse, pat dry. Submerge in melted duck fat with thyme and a smashed garlic clove in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) for 2.5–3 hours until tender. Cool in fat and store refrigerated. Before assembly, remove from fat, blot dry and crisp skin in a 375°F oven 10–15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add finely chopped mushrooms, spread into an even layer and let them brown undisturbed 3–4 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until most moisture has evaporated, about 6–8 minutes in total.

Push mushrooms to the side, add remaining butter and the sliced leeks. Cook 4–6 minutes until leeks become soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and thyme and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine/sherry, scraping up browned bits. Cook until liquid has mostly evaporated. Stir in heavy cream (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Cook another 1–2 minutes until mixture is fairly dry but still spreadable. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before assembly.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll each puff pastry sheet to smooth seams; keep chilled until ready to assemble.

If using prosciutto, lay 4 slices slightly overlapping on a sheet of plastic wrap to form a rectangle roughly the length of a duck leg. Spread a thin layer (about 1/2 tsp) of Dijon mustard over the fat side of each duck leg. Place a duck leg on the prosciutto rectangle and spoon ~3/4 cup cooled mushroom-leek mixture over top, pressing it to form a compact log around the leg. Wrap prosciutto around leg tightly using the plastic wrap to compress; repeat for remaining legs and chill 10 minutes to set.

Place a prosciutto-wrapped leg onto center of a pastry sheet. Brush edges of pastry with beaten egg. Fold pastry over leg, trimming excess, and seal edges by pressing. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for remaining legs. Brush tops with egg wash, score decorative lines if desired, and chill 10 minutes in fridge to firm up.

Bake in preheated oven 22–28 minutes until pastry is deep golden and internal temperature of duck reaches 145°F (63°C) if reheated confit. If using pre-cooked confit heated earlier, focus on achieving golden pastry (15–20 minutes). Let rest 5 minutes before slicing each Wellington on a slight angle.

While Wellingtons bake, toss halved Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet cut-side down and roast at 400°F (same oven) for 18–22 minutes until caramelized and tender.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine pomegranate molasses and honey. Warm gently until slightly syrupy, about 2 minutes. Remove sprouts from oven, toss with pomegranate glaze to coat evenly, and return to oven 1–2 minutes to set the glaze. Finish with crushed pistachios if using.

Combine port, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a brisk simmer and reduce until syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, about 8–12 minutes. Strain if desired, whisk in cold butter to finish and season with a pinch of salt. Keep warm.

In a small saucepan heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat and sweat the chopped shallot until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add smashed garlic, thyme sprig and bay leaf and cook 30 seconds. Add red wine (if using) and reduce by half.

Add duck or chicken stock and simmer gently until slightly reduced, about 10–12 minutes. Strain into a clean pan, return to low heat and whisk in cold butter to mount the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until plating.

Slice each Duck Confit Wellington into 1–1.5 inch thick slices. Spoon a small pool of roasted duck jus on each plate. Place a Wellington slice on top, arrange 3–4 glazed Brussels sprouts alongside, and drizzle the port-balsamic glaze artistically over the pastry and plate. Garnish with a few thyme leaves or microgreens if desired and serve immediately.