Crisp the skin on the duck legs in a skillet over medium heat for 15 minutes. Lay the duck legs so the skin side is down. Leave the legs in the pan until the skin gets brown and crispy, which should take around 15 minutes at medium heat. [4] You don’t need to add any additional cooking oils since the legs will cook in the duck fat.
Cook for 2 hours. Remove the foil, leaving the legs skin side up, and return to the oven and roast for an additional 30 minutes. If the duck legs are small, check for doneness and tenderness after the first hour of cooking. Remove the pan from the oven, and remove the legs to a large plate or sheet pan.
Pre-heat the oven to 325º F. Remove the duck legs from the dish and rinse off the salt rub and herbs. Pat the legs completely dry with paper towels so that they can brown, and not steam.
Pat the duck or goose legs dry with paper towels. If you have store-bought duck legs, prick the skin of the duck all over with a needle or the point of a sharp knife. Do not pierce the meat itself. Piercing the skin gives the fat a place to seep out. Salt your duck legs well and set them aside, skin side up.