“What the heck is Pomegranate Molasses?” I said to myself, after scanning the recipe for ‘Duck and Pomegranate Ragu’ in the latest edition of Donna Hay magazine. That sounds interesting, maybe I’ll give it a try, but where will I be able to buy Pomegranate Molasses in Adelaide?
It turns out that finding the molasses was easy- a quick trip to ‘Goodies and Grains’ at the Adelaide Central Market was all I needed to put my hands on this little bottle of deliciousness. The next hurdle was to make a sauce with it to go with some duck legs I had bought- something good enough to make us want to go back for more.
This was the first time I had used Pomegranate Molasses in a recipe and it turned out very good. The molasses added a slightly tart taste to the sauce, while retaining some sweetness (maybe I’m trying to say ‘sweet and sour’?)- my hubby gave this recipe the ‘thumbs up’ and I snuck back into the kitchen for seconds.
Despite leaving several stains on my cutting board from using some real Pomegranates for the garnish, I’ll definitely place this recipe in my regular repertory- it is a good alternative to the ‘Duck Breast in Orange Sauce’ recipe that I did in one of my first posts.
This dish is not too difficult and the prep time is 40 minutes max- and then there’s the 1 hour 15 minute cook time to ensure the duck meat falls off the bone before final plating.
I tried two ways of plating this dish; one with the duck served on top of the baked semolina (see top photo) and the second plating with a slice of semolina on the side (see below); which way do you prefer?
Duck Leg with Pomegranate Molasses and Baked Semolina
Duck leg cooked so that it falls off the bone, accompanied by a sweet, slightly tart sauce, making you want to go back for more!
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main course for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
- 4 duck thighs (duck marylands)
- 4 shallots, coarsely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup (250 ml) red wine
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the Baked Semolina:
- 750 ml milk
- 30 g butter
- 1 cup (160 g) fine semolina
- 1 cup (80 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- salt and pepper to taste
- More parmesan to garnish top of the semolina
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180 ° C (360 ° F)
- To make the baked semolina, combine the milk and butter together in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil- careful not to scald the milk.
- Reduce the heat and whisk in the semolina until the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolks, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
- Pour the batter into a lightly greased pan (20 cm x 30 cm), smooth the top of the mixture with a spatula and place in the fridge until set, approximately 1 -2 hours.
- In the meantime, heat a small amount of olive oil in a dutch oven on the stovetop. Over medium-high heat, brown the duck legs on both sides for several minutes, leaving the skin on. Remove the legs from pan and let drain on baking paper.
- Retain a small amount of the duck fat in the pan and drain the remainder. Sweat the shallots and garlic in the pan until translucent in color. Now add the tomato paste, wine, chicken stock and pomegranate molasses together and stir.
- Add the duck legs back into the pan, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the meat falls off the bone.
- Remove duck from the oven and shred the meat from the bone. Thicken the sauce if required, using a paste made of a small amount of corn flour mixed with water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the broiler oven to high; remove the semolina from the fridge and cut into round shapes using a pastry ring (or cut into other shapes as desired).
- Place semolina shapes into a lightly greased tray, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for several minutes until golden crust forms on top.
- Place the baked semolina on a plate, cover with shredded duck pieces and then add sauce on top.
23 Comments
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
May 20, 2013 at 6:48 pmLooks delicious. I have some pomegranate molasses begging to go in this dish.
I like the stack 🙂
★★★★★
Fran
May 22, 2013 at 7:27 pmYes, better get out that bottle of molasses before it goes to waste!
Rachel @ sweetravioli
May 20, 2013 at 9:25 pmI like the stack too! That meat looks so succulent!
Fran
May 22, 2013 at 7:28 pmThanks, that’s two votes now for the ‘stack’!
Nami | Just One Cookbook
May 21, 2013 at 2:16 amWe love duck meat and this sounds so delicious! The meat look juicy and tender. Lovely presentation – I actually love both style of plating!
★★★★★
Fran
May 23, 2013 at 11:54 amThanks Nami. Yes, the duck meat was very tender. I find that it is easier to cook duck leg than duck breast- all you have to do is pop it in the oven with some liquid, cover and wait until the meat falls off the bone!
Joanne
May 21, 2013 at 8:32 pmPomegranate molasses is one of my favorite ways to add some serious flavor to a meal! love this!
Fran
May 23, 2013 at 11:55 amThank you, Joanne!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
May 21, 2013 at 8:50 pmI was so taken by the bottles of pomegranate molasses that I bought two bottles! I haven’t used that much of either so I’ll be bookmarking this recipe!
Fran
May 23, 2013 at 9:15 pmLorraine, I hope your adventures with the pomegranate molasses turn out well!
Delicieux
May 21, 2013 at 9:07 pmLovely looking plate of food!! I have been asking all my friends to bring me some Pomegranate Molasses as I have never seen it here in rural France. Perhaps I should try the BIO shop? Anyway, you have inspired me to continue my quest to get my hands on some. I’ll bet it is just perfect with duck.
Fran
May 22, 2013 at 7:31 pmAnneli, If you come to Australia, we can definitely load you up on several bottles of the molasses!
Juliana
May 22, 2013 at 1:27 pmI love the idea of the dusk with pomegranate…like the sweetness of this dish, and your presentation is so elegant.
Have a lovely week 🙂
Fran
May 24, 2013 at 7:04 pmThank you Juliana!
john@kitchenriffs
May 23, 2013 at 8:36 amAnother vote for the stack! Pomegranate molasses is good stuff, isn’t it? I’ve made it, but much easier to buy it. Love this recipe – I’m partial to duck, and this is a great way to make it. Definitely something I should try – thanks so much.
Fran
May 24, 2013 at 7:06 pmThat must have required a lot of dedication to make the pomegranate molasses yourself! Thanks, John …
Donalyn@The Creekside Cook
May 23, 2013 at 10:04 pmHi Fran- I love pomegranate molasses! That sweet-tart quality is perfect for barbeque sauce, and vinaigrette, and even in baked goods. it can be hard to find in markets here in the US, so I get it from an online supplier. This recipe looks so good – I can almost taste the contrasts in flavor and texture from the photos!
Fran
May 27, 2013 at 8:56 amHmmm… I’ll have to try the molasses in baked goods next- seems like a good idea!
milkteaxx
May 24, 2013 at 11:13 amthat duck leg looks amazingly tender! and ive never heard of pom mollasses eitheR!
Roger Stowell
May 26, 2013 at 7:02 pmNice recipe and lovely pic. I’ve been using pomegranate molasses for a while now. I seem to have three bottles of it next to the hob, and they’re still quite full. Says to me that it’s a nice idea but……..
Fran
May 27, 2013 at 9:00 amRoger, sounds like the molasses might be a good idea for your next recipe?
CCU
May 26, 2013 at 8:06 pmSuch an elegant and beautiful recipe 😀
I wish I ate meat sometimes!
Cheers
CCU
Gourmet Getaways
June 1, 2013 at 9:45 pmOh gee, I have never heard of Pomegranate Molasses either! Having said that this dish looks amazing… I can’t believe how juicy the duck legs looks! Well done 🙂