Duck Leg Stracotto Food

CRISPY BRAISED DUCK LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put duck legs skin side down in a skillet large enough to accommodate all ingredients comfortably. Turn heat to medium, and cook, rotating so skin browns thoroughly and evenly but do not turn over completely. Meanwhile, peel onion and carrots, trim celery and roughly chop them all.
• When skins are nicely browned, turn and sear the meat side just 1 to 2 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. Remove to a plate; remove all fat from pan except enough to moisten vegetables. Add vegetables and salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until they begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Return duck legs skin side up to pan, and add stock; it should come about halfway up the legs but not cover them. Turn heat to high, bring to boil and transfer to oven.
• Cook 30 minutes, and turn heat to 350 degrees. Cook undisturbed until duck is tender and liquid reduced, at least 30 minutes or a bit longer. Serve immediately, or let rest in a 200-degree oven for up to an hour.

ROASTED DUCK LEGS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On the stove, heat a small roasting pan (I use one like a slightly oversized tarte tatin pan) and sear the duck legs, skin-side down over medium heat until the skin turns golden and gives out some oil.
• Turn the legs over, and take the pan off the heat while you cut the potatoes into 1-inch slices across, then cut each slice into 4. Arrange these potato pieces around the duck legs, then let a few sprigs of thyme fall over the duck and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper, before putting into the preheated oven.
• Cook for two hours, occasionally turning the potatoes, for optimal outcome, which is tender duck legs and crispy potatoes, though both will be ready to eat after 1 1/2 hours.
• Making leftovers right: If you have even a small amount of meat left, you could bag and mark it up and store it in the freezer for up to two months for future use. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

STRACOTTO DI MANZO (ITALIAN POT ROAST)

Steps:

• Place dried porcini mushrooms in hot beef stock to reconstitute and soften for about 30 minutes.
• Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper, plus any dried seasonings that you prefer.
• Pour olive oil into a large, deep cast iron dutch oven pot or a lined cast iron pot (such as Le Creuset).
• Add the beef to the pan to sear (brown) on each side for about 7 minutes, turning only once, totaling about 15 minutes. While beef is searing, sprinkle about a teaspoon of chopped garlic all over to saute with the beef.
• Remove beef from the pot and place on a platter.
• With a sharp knife, cut slits in the beef and insert the slices of garlic.
• In the hot olive oil, saute the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and pancetta.
• Then add the chopped garlic and saute for another 3 - 5 minutes, being very careful not to burn the garlic.
• Deglaze the pan with about 2 Tbsp. deep, dark red wine (merlot or burgundy) and simmer until the wine is reduced but not completely evaporated.
• Add 3 Tbsp. or more of tomato paste and the cans of imported Italian tomatoes and juice, squishing the tomatoes so that they fall apart as you pour them into the pot.
• Add all of the chopped herbs, except for the sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley which are added at the end of cooking.
• Gently stir everything together with a large spoon.
• Add the beef broth and red wine.
• Add the large cut up pieces of carrots, celery, and potatoes.
• Add the artichokes, roasted red pepper slices, and the crimini and porcini mushrooms.
• Place the garlic-studded beef roast back into the pot on top of the vegetables.
• Add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.
• Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the oven for 3 hours on 325 F degrees OR until fork tender (beef easily breaks up into pieces with a fork).
• Add the chopped Italian parsley for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• After roasting is finished, remove from the oven and cover loosely and allow everything to rest for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and minced Italian parsley.

DUCK LEG STRACOTTO

Steps:

• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Prepare the gremolata: roughly chop the parsley leaves and toss with the toasted pine nuts as well as lemon zest. Set aside.
• 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.
• 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.

STRACOTTO (POT ROAST) WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding more beef broth, as needed.
• Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Using an immersion blender, blend the pan juices and vegetables until smooth. Add the rosemary and thyme. Bring to sauce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

ROAST DUCK LEGS WITH RED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the duck legs in one layer in a roasting tin on a bed of rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and five-spice powder. Roast for 1 hr.
• Bring the wine and jelly to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the jelly, then continue to simmer for 5 mins. When the duck has been cooking for an hr remove from the oven and spoon off almost all the fat (save it for roast potatoes), then pour the wine mixture around it and return to the oven for 10-15 mins to finish cooking and reduce the sauce.

VENETIAN DUCK RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the duck legs and brown on all sides for about 10 mins. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 min, then stir in the cinnamon and flour and cook for a further min. Return the duck to the pan, add the wine, tomatoes, stock, herbs, sugar and seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 2 hrs, stirring every now and then.
• Carefully lift the duck legs out of the sauce and place on a plate - they will be very tender so try not to lose any of the meat. Pull off and discard the fat, then shred the meat with 2 forks and discard the bones. Add the meat back to the sauce with the milk and simmer, uncovered, for a further 10-15 mins while you cook the pasta.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions, then drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the ragu. Stir to coat all the pasta in the sauce and cook for 1 min more, adding a splash of cooking liquid if it looks dry. Serve with grated Parmesan, if you like.

CRISP-BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH AROMATIC VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Put duck legs, skin side down, in a skillet large enough to accommodate all ingredients comfortably; turn heat to medium. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown duck legs carefully and evenly, sprinkling them with salt and pepper as they cook. Meanwhile, peel and dice vegetables.
• When legs are nicely browned, turn them over and sear for just a minute or two. Remove to a plate; remove all but enough fat to moisten vegetables. Add vegetables to skillet along with some salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Return duck legs to pan, skin side up, and add stock; it should come about halfway up duck legs but should not cover them. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, and transfer to oven.
• Cook for 30 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees. Continue to cook, undisturbed, until duck is tender and liquid reduced, at least another half hour. The duck is done when a thin-bladed knife pierces the meat with little resistance. When done, duck will hold nicely in a warm oven for another hour. Serve hot.

SLOW-COOKED DUCK LEGS IN PORT WITH CELERIAC GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the duck legs in a flameproof casserole set over a medium heat. Brown all over, then remove from the casserole and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the fat, leave more fat in the pan if you are doubling or tripling (save the drained fat for your Christmas roasties). Add the carrots and onion to the casserole and cook for 5-10 mins or until starting to caramelise. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min more. Return the duck along with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and put in the oven for 2 hrs.
• Meanwhile, prepare the gratin. Put the milk, cream, garlic and rosemary in a pan set over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 mins. Grease 2 ramekins (about 8cm diameter, 5cm deep). Arrange the celeriac and potato slices in the ramekins, seasoning the layers as you go. Remove the garlic and rosemary from the milk, pour over the veg, then dot with butter. Cover tightly with foil and bake with the duck for 1½ hrs.
• Once cooked, remove the duck and gratins from the oven. To freeze the duck, cool, then pack into a freezer container, pushing the duck under the sauce. If it doesn't cover it, lay cling film on top. Use within 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the casserole and complete from Step 4. Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put a heavy can on top of each foil-wrapped gratin and stand for 15-20 mins, or chill like this until needed. Once pressed, turn the gratins out onto a baking tray, sprinkle with a little Parmesan and bake for 20 mins until golden.
• Meanwhile, remove the duck legs from the casserole, strain the cooking liquid into a clean pan and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce the sauce by half until thickened and glossy. Add the duck legs and heat through. Put a duck leg on each plate with a little sauce spooned over the top. Serve with the gratins and seasonal veg.