Method

Step 1: For the duck confit, sprinkle the base of a small roasting dish with ¼ cup sea salt. Make a deep incision, at the top of the duck leg meat, about 6cm from the top of the bone, through the skin until you reach the bone. This is to allow the leg bone to be Frenched after its cooked. Place the duck on top of the salt in the roasting dish. Add garlic, bay leaf, 8 sprigs thyme and peppercorns to the roasting dish and sprinkle over another ¼ cup of salt over duck. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 110°C. Remove aromats, except for the peppercorns and set aside. Place duck in a bowl of cold water to remove any excess salt. Pat dry with paper towel or a clean cloth.

Step 2: Place the duck in a frying pan with aromats and cover with duck fat. Make a cartouche by folding a large square of baking paper in half and half again so you have a smaller square. Fold diagonally and diagonally again so you have a thin wedge. Trim the wide end into an arc and cut the tip off the smaller end to create a hole in the middle. Cover the duck with the cartouche. Place foil over the top and cook in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove legs from the oven and place in the fridge to cool for about 30 minutes. French the duck legs and chop off the knuckle at the end of the leg. Preheat oven to 210°C.

Step 3: Meanwhile, add the lentils and 1 1/3 cups water to a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for a further 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat, then add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add carrots, thyme leaves and celery and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add lentils, vinegar and stock. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened and reduced. Stir through parsley and sour cherries.

Step 4: Add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place duck, skin-side up and cook 1-2 minutes to warm through. Add enough chicken stock to cover the base of the pan. Place half the butter on top of the duck skin and the remaining in the pan with the thyme leaves. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until skin is crispy and the duck has warmed through.

Step 5: To serve, spoon the lentil mixture into bowls and top with a duck leg. Garnish with micro herbs.