DUCK RAGU WITH PASTA

La scoperta di un piatto nuovo è più preziosa per il genere umano che la scoperta di una nuova stella.

(The discovery of a new dish is more precious to human beings than the discovery of a new star.)
Brillat- Savarin


A short while ago I escaped for a week to Italy leaving my husband home alone to fend for himself against the kids. Whilst it is safe to say they all survived intact and breathing, the same cannot be said for a few of my kitchen essentials notably the microwave. It is beyond repair after being left to cook (an already cooked cake) for 20 minutes. Its gleaming white interior now looks like the stained brown fingers of a heavy smoker and the once clear glass plate is tinged with permanent black smuts. The smell, once opened, is so pungent that it has now become an art form to open and shut it as quick as you can so as not to fill the kitchen with its odor. So to console myself the other night I thought back to those days in Italy and remembered one such night when I tasted for the first time ‘Duck Ragu’. The restaurant was in a small town and as you entered you could see the roaring kitchen fire where they cooked their steaks and for which they were well known. I couldn’t wait to try one but like any wonderful Italian dinner we started with some pasta. When my dish arrived I found my plate full of very wide pasta (pappardelle) coated in the most amazing sauce. I cannot explain how exquisite it was. I had never thought of pairing duck with pasta and certainly not in a Ragu sauce. I did some research that night whilst drinking a cold glass of ‘Prosecco’ and this recipe is what I came up with. Although the legs and thighs are the best parts of the duck to use where I live it was only possible to obtain breasts. Now having compared the two I would honestly say the taste is just as rich and wonderful however it is just the texture is chunkier. I hope you try this because I swear you will be like me and become a fan forever!

INGREDIENTS
3 duck breasts or 4 duck legs
1 small onion finely chopped
1 medium carrot finely chopped
1 celery stick finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
½ cup red wine (preferably Italian)
½ cup chicken stock
1 stalk of fresh rosemary, leaves only chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1lb dried pasta of your choice

METHOD
1.In a large saucepan heat the oil until it is smoking then add the duck and brown on all sides.
2.  Remove the duck and put aside.
3.  Drain off the excess fat leaving a small amount in the bottom of the pan.
4.  Add the onion, carrot, celery and cook until softened.
5.  Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute to soften.
6.  Add the wine, stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
7.  Once the sauce is boiling add the duck back into the pot and bring to the boil again.
8.  Once at a boil lower the heat, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
9.  After 1 hour remove the duck from the pan and allow to cool slightly.
10. Put the sauce in processor and whiz it slightly to reduce the chunks and return to the pan (if you like your ragu chunky you can leave this step out).
11.. When you can handle the duck safely remove the skin and shred the meat.
12. Return the meat only to the pan and simmer for another 30 minutes.
13. Cook your pasta according to its package label to be ready for the same time as the sauce.
14. Add cooked pasta to a large serving dish and pour over the sauce. I like to toss the whole thing together so as to ensure all the pasta has a rich coating.
15. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.


Serves 4