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The main dish, Mediterranean

Duck with olives and sautéed potatoes

Duck with olives is a braise of duck legs with green olives, tomatoes and garlic, served with sautéed potatoes, for 6 people. It takes 35 minutes of active work and is made entirely a day ahead, rated easy, at €5.20 per person. The key to success is skimming the sauce and sautéing the potatoes in duck fat right before serving.

Duck legs braised with green olives, tomatoes and garlic, with potatoes sautéed in the fat, a real treat.

Duck with olives and sautéed potatoes
For
6 people
Work
35 min
Total time
2 h 20
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€5.20
Calories per person
720 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Duck legs braise slowly with green olives, crushed tomatoes and garlic until the meat turns tender enough to fall off the bone on its own. The sauce picks up a salty, tangy edge from the olives, which balances the richness of the duck. Potatoes sautéed in duck fat add the crunch this otherwise soft, saucy dish would be missing.

This is a cold weather dish, warming and hearty, and it comes together with almost no last minute stress since everything is cooked the day before. It works for a dinner party with friends or a family Sunday lunch, paired with a light starter and a simple dessert, since the main course is already rich.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 2 steps, 1 h 45
  2. The same day Nothing to do
  3. Before the guests arrive 2 steps, 40 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step, 12 min

The day before, brown the duck legs, braise them with garlic, white wine, tomatoes and thyme, then stir in the olives near the end and let everything cool in the fridge. Just before guests arrive, parboil the potatoes and gently reheat the duck in its skimmed sauce. At serving time, sauté the potatoes in duck fat and plate everything hot.

The ingredients

6 people

Butcher

  • Duck legs 6

Pantry

  • Green olives 150 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Dry white wine 20 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 6 cloves
  • Fresh thyme 5 sprigs
  • Potatoes 1.2 kg

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Brown the duck legs skin side down in a Dutch oven with no added fat, then pour off the excess fat. 15 min

    Save a spoonful of fat for the potatoes.

  2. Add the garlic, white wine, tomatoes and thyme, cover and let simmer gently, then stir in the olives and let cool. 1 h 30

    Add the olives only in the last half hour, or they turn bitter.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Parboil the potatoes in salted water until half cooked, drain and slice them into rounds. 15 min

    Parboiled, they brown quickly and stay soft in the center.

  2. Gently reheat the duck in its sauce. 25 min

    Skim the fat off the surface of the sauce before serving.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Sauté the potatoes in a hot pan with the duck fat until golden, then serve with the duck. 12 min

    Don't stir them too often so they can brown properly.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use whole green olives rather than chopped pitted ones, they hold up better through the long braise and keep some bite.
  • Let the sauce rest overnight in the fridge, the fat rises to the top and lifts off easily in one solid layer.
  • Cut the potatoes into even rounds about a centimeter thick so they brown evenly in the duck fat.

The variations

  • Swap the duck legs for chicken thighs for a lighter, less expensive version.
  • For a meatless version, replace the duck with portobello mushrooms and use olive oil instead of duck fat for the potatoes.
  • For kids, pull a few olives out of their portion before serving, the strong salty flavor isn't always a hit with younger palates.

What to serve it with

  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • Crusty bread for the sauce
  • A light red wine from the south

Storage

The braised duck keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and freezes well without the potatoes for up to 2 months. Reheat it gently, covered, on low heat or in a low oven, so the meat doesn't dry out.

Questions about this recipe

Can you make this with a whole duck instead of legs?

Yes, but you'll need to break down the whole duck and adjust cooking times by cut, legs stay simpler since they braise evenly in one batch.

How do you keep the olives from making the sauce bitter?

Add them only in the last half hour of cooking, as the recipe calls for, since olives cooked too long release more of their natural bitterness.

Can you use something else instead of duck fat for the potatoes?

Olive oil works, but the flavor will be milder, duck fat gives a distinct depth that oil alone can't match.

Does this recipe work for a dinner party of 8 or 10?

Yes, just scale the ingredients up proportionally and braise in two pots if needed, since one pot gets hard to manage past 8 legs.

Can a duck with olives and sautéed potatoes be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 35 min of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 2 steps, before the guests arrive, 2 steps, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a duck with olives and sautéed potatoes?

Allow 2 h 20 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 35 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "easy".

How many calories are in a duck with olives and sautéed potatoes?

About 720 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a duck with olives and sautéed potatoes cost?

About €5.20 per person, that's €31.20 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe doesn't contain any of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. It's still a good idea to ask your guests about their allergies.

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