DUCK RAGU WITH PAPPARDELLE
Duck ragù is a great dish to make ahead – in fact it tastes better when cooked a day or two beforehand. You could also use a whole duck, just turn it occasionally while cooking.
Ingredients
4 duck legs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
50g pancetta offcuts, or thinly chopped pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
sprig rosemary, very finely minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup passata
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken stock or water
400g dried pappardelle
1⁄2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
freshly grated parmesan for serving
Method
Heat a wide saucepan and brown the duck legs all over. Remove the duck from the pan andreserve the fat for another use
Heat the olive oil then add the onion, celery, carrots and pancetta and cook for 5 mins or until soft
Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, stir tocombine and cook for another minute. Add the red wine and reduce by half then addthe passata, salt and stock, bring to a simmer, then add the duck and cover, simmering slowlyfor 1 1⁄2 hours or until very tender. If necessary, top up with a little extra stock or water
Remove the duck and set aside until cool enough to handle, then shred. Discard or keep skin, depending on your preference. Skim any fat from the ragù sauce. Add the meat back into the sauce
When ready to serve, heat the ragù and adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook the pappardelle in boiling salted water according to packet directions, drain, toss through the ragù along with the flat leaf parsley
Serve on warmed plates with freshly grated parmesan