BHA & BHT Free Apple & Sage Duck Stew

Total time2 hr 10 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time1 hr 50 min

5.0

(24)

Rich, slow-braised duck legs nestled among sweet potato, tart apple chunks, and garden-fresh sage — this stew is the kind of deeply satisfying cold-weather cooking that feels genuinely special. Every ingredient here is whole and unprocessed, which matters when you're avoiding the synthetic preservatives BHA and BHT that sneak into everything from packaged broths to bottled cooking oils. Coconut oil stands in as the cooking fat, the broth is homemade or a clean compliant brand, and the flavor depth comes entirely from real aromatics: fresh thyme, sage leaves, garlic, turmeric, and ginger. A splash of pomegranate juice and apple cider vinegar lifts the braising liquid into something almost wine-like without any of the additives that can hide in conventional pantry shortcuts. The technique is straightforward — sear the duck until the skin turns deep golden, build the base with softened onion and celery, then let the oven do the slow, gentle work until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Adding the apple pieces in the final stretch keeps them soft but intact, so every bowl gets that lovely sweet-tart contrast against the savory broth. It's the kind of stew that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible and tastes like you spent far more effort than you actually did.

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 duck legs (about 3 lb total)
1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced ½-inch thick
2 medium tart apples (such as granny smith), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup pomegranate juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
8 fresh sage leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground ginger

For serving

2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
Pat the duck legs thoroughly dry with paper towels and season all over with 3/4 tsp of the salt.
2
Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the duck legs skin-side down and sear undisturbed for 6–8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and releases easily from the pot. Flip and sear the second side for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered duck fat from the pot.

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