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Duck Leg Stracotto
40 mins Prep Time
2 hours 30 mins Cook Time
“Stracotto” is an Italian word that literally means to overcook, and is usually applied to describe an Italian beef pot roast that is cooked for a long time with red wine, tomatoes and some vegetables. In this case we apply it to duck legs simmered with red wine and crushed tomatoes until the outcome is a braised meat on the cusp of falling off the bone but not enough to lose its structural integrity and shred everywhere. By salting the duck legs overnight you are essentially applying a mini-cure on it where the salt penetrates into the meat and yields a much more flavourful end product, but it also draws out any moisture making the fat rendering process that much more effective. Juicy little raisins are an unexpected burst of sweetness and pairs well with the rich flavour of the duck meat. The dish is topped with a pine nut gremolata that adds a bright herby flavour, complementing the deep savoury base of the braise. A great dish to entertain with or for a special family dinner and made even better by the fact it can be made a whole day in advance and rewarmed when ready to eat for ease.
Directions
Duck Leg Stracotto
8 Steps
Step 1
Trim any excess and overhanging fat from each duck breast and dry them with paper towels. Season all of the duck breasts evenly on both skin and meat side, with the kosher salt. Place them on a wire lined rack and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (ideally overnight).
Step 2
The following day, wipe any moisture that developed overnight from the surface of the duck legs. Heat a Dutch oven or braising pan on medium and place the duck legs skin side down to begin browning and rendering the fat. Allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes until almost all of the fat has rendered down and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip to the remaining side and allow to brown for 3-4 minutes. Remove the browned duck legs from the pot and carefully drain off the fat in the pot (be sure to save this fat for future cooking or roasting, it's incredibly flavorful!) leaving about 2 tablespoons of the fat and return to the heat.
Step 3
Add in the diced carrots, celery and onions. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have softened, add in the minced garlic as well as tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine and cook until the wine is a syrup-like consistency, be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan during this process.
Step 4
Add in the brown sugar, chicken stock, pureed tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, as well as cheese rinds and bring to a boil. Gently return the duck legs to the simmering pot being sure to leave just the skin unsubmerged. Cover with a lid and continue cooking in a preheated 300°F oven for 1 ½ hours.
Step 5
After 1 ½ hours, remove from the oven and add in the raisins and place back in the oven. Continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the duck meat just begins to pull away from the bone easily but is not falling apart.
Step 6
Prepare the gremolata: roughly chop the parsley leaves and toss with the toasted pine nuts as well as lemon zest. Set aside.
Step 7
Remove the entire braise from the oven and carefully lift the duck legs out and place on a wire rack lined baking sheet. Broil the duck legs for 3-4 minutes until the skin begins to crisp again. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce in the pot with salt and pepper.
Step 8
Cook the fresh pasta according to package directions and toss with the tomato sauce, top with the duck legs and then the gremolata. Alternatively you could also pull the meat off of the bones, lightly shred and fold it into the sauce before tossing with the pasta.
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