Duck Fesenjan

Season duck legs generously all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place duck legs, skin-side down, in the hot oil and cook until deeply browned, about 2 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer legs to a plate; pour rendered duck fat into a bowl and reserve.

Pour water into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the reserved duck fat into a Dutch oven; add olive oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add diced yellow onion and sauté until softened and golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add ground turmeric, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour chicken broth, pomegranate molasses, honey, and the reserved water mixture from the skillet into the Dutch oven; bring to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, grind walnut halves to a fine powder in a food processor.

Cook and stir ground walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes; stir into the simmering broth mixture.

Place browned duck legs into the broth, pressing gently to submerge. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until duck legs are incredibly tender, the meat is falling off the bone, and the juices run clear, about 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Remove duck legs from the Dutch oven and set aside. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to your desired sauce consistency, about 15-20 minutes. Season the sauce with salt to taste. Return the duck legs to the sauce to warm through. Ladle generous amounts of sauce over duck legs to serve. Enjoy with saffron rice or crusty bread.