For the Sauce, preheat the oven to 300. Heat a heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the duck fat with water and cook until it is rendered. Add the duck legs skin side down to the skillet.
Cook until the fat is rendered out of the duck legs and the skin is crisp and brown. Turn and brown the second side. Remove all fat from the skillet with a bulb baster and reserve for another use. Add the beets, onion and garlic to the skillet. Pour in the wine. Bring to a simmer.


Cover the skillet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the legs are tender and their juices run clear when pricked with a fork, about 1 to 1 hours, turning several times. Remove the duck legs to a tray. Remove the beets, onion and garlic to a food processor or blender with slotted spoon.


Place cooking juices in a fat separator or degrease.Wash the skillet. Process the vegetables until finely chopped, pulsing on/off and stopping to scrape down the sides of the container. Pour the degreased juices through the feed tube and continue processing until the mixture is a smooth puree, for at least 5 minutes. Strain the sauce back into the clean skillet through a fine sieve, pressing on the ingredients.



Simmer, if necessary, to reduce and thicken to a sauce like consistency.(There should be about 1cups sauce.) Season with salt and pepper.
Return the duck legs to the sauce. (This can be prepared ahead, covered and set aside at cool room temperature.)


For the Chips, line a large baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Heat oil in a deep fryer, wok or large pot to 325. Fry the beets in small batches, adjusting the heat as necessary so the chips cook slowly and turning until brown on both sides, for about 15 to 20 minutes total.


Transfer to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer using tongs or a slotted spoon. The beets will be limp when removed from the fryer, but will crisp immediately. (This can be prepared ahead and set aside to cool at room temperature.) To serve, preheat the oven to 450, remove the paper towels from the baking sheet and reheat the beet chips for 5 minutes or until warm, or serve at room temperature. Season with salt, if desired.


Reheat the legs on both sides, if necessary, by simmering gently in the sauce in the covered skillet. Ladle the sauce into the center of 4 large plates. Place a leg in the center of sauce. Garnish with beet chips and thyme sprigs, if desired.

To Serve: Serve immediately.