- 2 tbl olive oil
- 4 duck legs and thighs
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 onion
- il and parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
this is a recipe that i make over and over again. it’s one of those recipes i simply adore. it’s just one of those recipes…
this ragu is special. yes, i just called ragu special. it’s so special it’s a repeat offender at not only my house but a friend i shared the recipe with. it’s that recipe where every time one of us makes we text each other.
every time i make it i make extra because it freezes very nicely. every time i make it we go through at least a pound of pasta between the four of us. every time i make it my kids lick their plates clean (especially the boy, he loves this stuff).
have i sold you on it yet? i’m trying.
one of the best parts about this recipe is that it is really flexible. can’t find duck legs? use the breast. it works just as well. ran out of celery, don’t use it. i use basil and parsley instead of thyme. i use white onion instead of red. i don’t blend my tomatoes because i like the chunks.
see? really, you can’t go wrong. have i sold you on it now?
duck ragu adapted from extra virgin with debi mazar and gabriele corcos
to prep: i like to score my duck, meaning, i take a knife and just make a couple cuts into the skin so the skin cooks evenly and the fan just pours out (my favorite part). sprinkle the duck with a pinch of salt and pepper.
chop the carrots, garlic, celery, onion, basil and parsley finely and set aside.
- heat 2 tbl olive oil in a large dutch oven.
- carefully place the duck in the pot and sear the duck until golden brown and crisp. this can take up to 10-15 minutes. remove the duck to a plate and set aside.
- to the pot add the carrots, celery, garlic and onions. saute for about 3-4 minutes. add the basil and parsley and saute until for about a minute.
- carefully pour the red wine into the skillet. make sure to scrape up all those little bits on the bottom of the pot. cook for about 2 minutes and then stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer.
- add the duck back to the pan now and cover. simmer gently until the duck is extremely tender and falling off the bone, about an hour and a half.
- when the the duck is falling off the bone (if you use a breast it won’t “fall” off the bone) take out of the pot and shred/cut and add back to pot. give it a good mix, pour over pasta.
