Braising

BRAISING AND STEWING are essentially the same thing—cooking in a small amount of liquid—except that stewing implies that the pieces of meat (or fish) are cut into relatively small pieces. I suppose that pot roast is the best known of all American braised dishes.

Duck legs are particularly well suited to braising and stewing because they are tough and need long cooking to soften them up. Yet compared to some stews, duck stew is rather quick to make, requiring about an hour and a half of braising. The braising liquid can be water, broth, wine, cider, beer—or virtually any flavorful liquid you can think of—and it can double as the sauce for the legs and also for sautéed breasts. Sometimes after braising duck legs and sautéing duck breasts, I use the braising liquid from the legs as the basis of a sauce for both.