Stuffed Duck Legs and Turnips

Friday December 7

Holt's new knife was a big help in boning the thighbones out of some duck legs a couple of days ago, and that made stuffed duck legs an obvious option. After consulting many recipes, though, he decided to make up one of his own. It's a fall-type meal, using flavors that go well with duck: bacon, apple, and turnip.

For the stuffing, chop up a small onion and three or four rashers of bacon. Fry them up in the ovenproof skillet you're going to use for the duck. When the onion is translucent and the bacon almost crisp, add a small chopped apple. Let it sizzle for a few minutes, deglaze with a little port, and then remove the stuffing and let it cool. When you can handle it, stuff it gently into the duck legs, where the thighbones had been, and secure with a toothpick.

In the same skillet, brown the duck legs with the open stuffing side on top. Add a little duck stock and nestle in some sliced turnips. Cover, and let cook for 30 minutes or so, till the duck is at 160º degrees and the turnips are tender. Serve just as it is.