Seed Oil Free Garlic-Mushroom Duck Stew
Rich, deeply savory, and built entirely around whole-food fats and clean ingredients, this braised duck stew is the kind of cold-weather cooking that makes your kitchen smell incredible for hours. Coconut oil is the only added fat here — no canola, no soybean oil, no mystery blends — so you can feel genuinely good about every spoonful. The duck legs render out their own fat as they sear, basting the meat from the inside and building a gorgeous golden crust before the long, slow braise even begins. Pomegranate juice and apple cider vinegar bring a subtle brightness that cuts through the richness of the duck, while turmeric and ginger add warmth without overpowering the earthy cremini mushrooms. Bone broth keeps everything deeply nourishing, and the aromatics — smashed garlic, fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaves — do the heavy lifting so the final bowl tastes like something that took real effort, even if the oven did most of the work. By the time the meat is falling off the bone, the braising liquid has transformed into a broth so good you'll want to drink it straight from the bowl. Scatter some fresh parsley over the top and serve it just like that — no fuss, no shortcuts, nothing you'd rather leave out.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 bone-in, skin-on duck legs (about 3 lb total)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 10 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 10 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- 3 cups bone broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the duck legs thoroughly dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 tsp fine sea salt. Drying the skin is essential for a good sear — wet skin will steam rather than brown.
- 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 7–9 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and releases easily from the pot. Flip and sear the flesh side for 3 minutes. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and pour off all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered fat, reserving the rest for another use.
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