If you are short on time, confit duck leg can be purchased from D’Artagnan or DeBragga. Premade spätzle can be purchased at good supermarkets, or use pasta instead. You can substitute cabbage or another leafy green for the spinach; kale also works well. Lastly, you can use poached eggs instead of cured egg yolk.

Three to four days before serving:

CURED EGG

Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites. Place the yolks in a plastic container and cover them with salt.

Leave at room temperature for at least 3 days. Carefully remove the egg yolks from the salt and give them a quick wash. Place in the freezer for at least 1 day.

The day before serving:

CONFIT DUCK LEG

Duck fat, enough to cover the legs First, cover the legs with the salt and let them rest overnight in the refrigerator to draw out moisture.

The next day, preheat the oven to 320°F. Rinse off the salt and place the legs on a baking tray. Cover each leg completely in duck fat. Cover the tray and place in the oven for 3 hours.

When it’s ready, take the legs out of the oven and let them cool at room temperature. Once they are cool enough to handle, pick the meat off the bones and set it aside.

The day of serving:

SPÄTZLE

Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the beaten eggs. Then add the yogurt and milk, and mix slowly until the mixture has the consistency of a batter.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and season it with a good pinch of salt.

Place the batter in spätzle maker and start pushing it through and into the boiling water. (If you don’t have a spätzle maker, pushing the dough through the holes in a coarse colander works too.)

Once the spätzle are floating, take them out with a slotted spoon and toss them with some good olive oil to avoid sticking. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To assemble:

Duck fat
Spinach
Spätzle
Picked duck meat
Salt and pepper
Parsley or chives, minced
Cured egg yolks
Sauerkraut or pickled onions or pickled mustard seeds
Hazelnuts, toasted, roughly chopped

Take a little duck fat from the legs and place it in a pan, heat it up, and sweat the spinach in it. Add in the spätzle and duck meat. Heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

At the last minute, add in fresh herbs. Put the dish into bowls for serving. Finely grate the cured egg yolk over the top using a microplane grater. Top with a small spoonful of sauerkraut and garnish with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 appetizer-sized portions or 3 entrees

courtesy of Chef Ehren Ryan, Common Lot