This delicious and easy Slow Cooker Duck Mussaman is a comforting curry made with tender duck legs, creamy coconut, and fragrant spices. Perfect for a hearty meal, it’s flexible enough to use with ingredients like chicken or beef. Serve with steamed rice and roasted peanuts for a simple yet impressive dish that’s full of flavor.

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Recipe Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• 4 shallots, halved
• 2 x 270 ml (9½ fl oz each) tins of coconut cream
• 2 cassia or cinnamon sticks
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 tbsp finely shredded ginger
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp tamarind purée
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 50 g (1¾ oz) grated palm sugar or raw sugar
• chopped roasted peanuts, chopped coriander (cilantro), and steamed rice, to serve

Curry Paste:

• 10 dried long red chillies, soaked in hot water until soft, seeds removed
• 45 g (1¾ oz / ½ cup) desiccated coconut
• 4 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts
• 6 cardamom pods, cracked, seeds removed, husks discarded
• 2 dried bay leaves, coarsely chopped
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

How To Make Slow Cooker Duck Mussaman

1. Make the curry paste: Pound the softened chillies, coconut, peanuts, cardamom seeds, bay leaves, and cloves into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle.
2. Sear the duck: Season the duck legs with salt. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and place the duck legs skin-side down. Cook for 8 minutes, turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the duck to the slow cooker.
3. Prepare the curry base: Pour off all except 2 tablespoons of the duck fat from the frying pan. Add the curry paste and shallots, stirring for 3–5 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the coconut cream and cook for 6–8 minutes until the oil separates.
4. Assemble the curry: Add the cassia or cinnamon sticks, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, potatoes, tamarind purée, fish sauce, and palm sugar to the frying pan. Stir well, then pour the mixture over the duck in the slow cooker.
5. Cook the curry: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the duck and potatoes are tender.
6. Finish and serve: Skim any fat from the surface of the curry. Serve with chopped roasted peanuts, chopped coriander, and steamed rice.

Recipe Tips

• Sear the duck well: Make sure to cook the duck skin-side down for 8 minutes. This will help achieve a crispy skin and rich flavor in the curry.
• Use fresh coconut cream: For the best texture and flavor, use fresh coconut cream rather than canned versions that may be too thin.
• Don’t skip the curry paste: Grinding the curry paste from scratch with dried chillies and spices adds a deeper, more authentic flavor.
• Adjust cooking time for potatoes: Cut the potatoes into even-sized wedges so they cook through properly without turning mushy in the slow cooker.
• Skim excess fat: After cooking, skim off any duck fat from the curry before serving to keep the dish rich but not greasy.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

Check out More Recipes:

• Slow Cooker Doner Kebab
• Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin Blanc (Wine-braised Chicken)
• Slow Cooker Coney Island–style Chili