Duck Confit Hash over Sweet Potato Biscuits

By Ben · cooked up in Sprig

Slow-braised duck legs, shredded and crisped in their own rendered fat, piled onto a buttery sweet potato biscuit that flakes apart the moment you press a fork through it. The tarragon hollandaise — made with a splash of white wine vinegar and a whisper of Dijon — pours over everything in a slow, glossy ribbon that pools into every crevice of the hash. This is a weekend brunch dish that fills the kitchen with the deep, savory smell of duck confit and something vaguely French, somewhere between a bistro and a farmhouse. Best served the morning after a dinner party when you want to make something that earns a long, quiet moment at the table.

Ingredients

• 2 whole duck legs (about 1.5 pounds total)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato (from about 1 medium sweet potato, roasted)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, clarified or melted and warm
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste
• Fresh tarragon sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Pat the duck legs completely dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
2. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat — no oil needed. Place the duck legs skin-side down and sear without moving them for 6 to 8 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and has rendered much of its fat. Flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer the duck legs to a plate.
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered duck fat from the pot (reserve the extra — it's liquid gold for the hash). Add the chopped onion, red bell pepper, and celery to the pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add the smashed garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
4. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Nestle the duck legs back in skin-side up — the liquid should come about halfway up the legs.
5. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and transfer to the 325°F oven. Braise for 2 hours until the meat is completely tender and pulls away from the bone easily. Remove the duck legs and set on a cutting board to cool slightly. Strain and reserve the braising liquid — you'll need about 1/4 cup for finishing the hash.
6. While the duck braises, make the sweet potato biscuits. Pierce a medium sweet potato all over with a fork and roast directly on the oven rack (alongside the duck) at 325°F for about 60 to 70 minutes until completely soft. Cut it open, scoop out 1 cup of flesh, and mash until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature.
7. Increase oven temperature to 425°F once the duck is out. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne. Add the cold cubed butter and work it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture looks like rough, shaggy crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces still visible — don't overwork it.
8. Add the cooled mashed sweet potato and cold buttermilk. Stir with a fork just until the dough comes together — it will be slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it to about 3/4-inch thickness. Fold it over itself once (like closing a book), then pat back to 3/4 inch. Use a 3-inch round cutter to punch out 4 biscuits — press straight down without twisting. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake biscuits at 425°F for 16 to 18 minutes until risen and golden brown on top. Let them rest for 5 minutes before splitting.

1. When the duck legs are cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones using two forks or your fingers, discarding the skin, bones, and any large pieces of fat. Shred the meat into rough, bite-sized chunks — not too fine. You should have about 2 cups of shredded duck.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved duck fat in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shredded duck in a single layer and press down gently with a spatula. Let it cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom crisps up and caramelizes. Toss once, add 3 tablespoons of the strained braising liquid, and let it sizzle and reduce for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley. Season to taste.
3. Make the hollandaise just before serving. Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. In a heatproof bowl that fits over the saucepan without touching the water, whisk together the egg yolks, white wine vinegar, cold water, and Dijon mustard until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture thickens noticeably and you can see the whisk leaving trails on the bottom of the bowl. Remove from heat. Very slowly — drop by drop at first — drizzle in the warm clarified butter while whisking constantly. As the sauce thickens and emulsifies, you can add the butter in a thin, steady stream.
5. Once all the butter is incorporated and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stir in the fresh tarragon, lemon juice, and cayenne. Season with salt. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water to loosen. Keep warm by leaving the bowl set over the hot (but off) water, whisking occasionally.

1. Split each warm sweet potato biscuit in half and place the bottom half cut-side up on a warm plate. Spoon a generous mound of the crispy duck hash over each biscuit bottom — about 1/2 cup per serving — letting it heap up naturally.
2. Ladle 3 to 4 tablespoons of the tarragon hollandaise over each mound of hash, letting it run down the sides and pool around the biscuit. Rest the biscuit top against the side of the hash at a slight angle so the layers are visible. Garnish with a small sprig of fresh tarragon and a turn of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Ben

Cheddar Cheese and Scallion Scones

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Mushroom Quesabirria Tacos

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem