Duck leg ragout with onions & prunes

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
12 Extra Large Prunes; pitted
450 millilitres Hot tea; orange pekoe best
4 Duck legs; thigh & drumstick
150 grams Smoked pork belly/salt pork cut into 5cmx5mm lardons
2 Cloves garlic; peeled
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
1 pinch Dried Thyme; crumbled
18 smalls White onions 1\" diameter
25 grams Butter, unsalted
1 Clove garlic
2 tablespoons Olive oil
4 Thin slices white bread;
1 large Onion; thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
450 millilitres Red wine; full bodied
350 millilitres Chicken stock; unsalted
3 mediums Carrots; peeled & halved lengthwise then across
Chopped parsley
1½ teaspoon Sugar
125 millilitres Water, stock or red wine crusts removed each cut in 4 equal triangles

Directions

GLAZED ONIONS

GARLIC CROUTES

NB. 1. Don't be put off by the uninspiring name. This is a wonderful recipe which makes excellent use of a part of the bird somewhat under utilised. You can either use whole legs, or separate them. This recipe should ideally be made with the legs from a duck fattened for foie gras production. If you can't get hold of them, then use any duck legs. You won't have as much fat to remove in the preliminary frying process.

2. Don't leave out the bread croutes. They give an essential character to the dish, and their presence means that you need no other accompagniments to the dish. A green salad could follow.

Method ======

Soak pitted prunes in hot tea. Let stand 2 hours uncovered, at room temperature. Drain reserving prunes.

Trim off excess fat from duck legs (essential for fatted ducks).

Render fat with 2 tbs of water. Strain, reserving 2 tbs for this dish, keep the rest for some other purpose (saute potatoes to kill for). Score the skin of the duck with the point of a small knife.

Wipe off excess moisture. (If you like, you can joint each leg into thigh and drumstick).

Blanch lardons 3 minutes in boiling water; drain. Heat duck fat in heavy frying pan over medium heat. Fry blanched lardons, turning occasionally until light brown - about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain into pan, then de-fat on paper towel. Don't remove crusty bits or fat from pan. Transfer lardons to large casserole.

Cook duck pieces in the same fat over medium high heat, turning occasionally until nicely browned on both sides (about 10 minutes).

The pan should be covered, and if you used fatted ducks, you may have to remove and reserve excess fat from time to time. When cooked, remove duck pieces with a slotted spoon and defat on paper towels.

Add duck pieces to lardons in casserole. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme, toss well to coat then add the first lot of garlic.

Remove all but 2 tbs of fat from the pan, taking care not to lose the crusty bits. Add sliced onions and fry over medium heat, stirring frequently until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove onions with slotted spoon draining thoroughly, and add them to casserole.

Carefully remove fat from pan - making sure all crusted cooking juices are retained. Add the vinegar and mustard. Whisk to combine them then pour over ⅓ of the red wine. Heat to boiling, scraping up brown bits that cling to the sides and bottom of the pan. Reduce to a glaze. Add a further third of the wine and repeat the process.

Pour deglazing juices over meat in casseriole, then pour remaining wine into frying pan, bring briefly to boil to evaporate alcohol, and pour into casserole. Now add stock to frying pan, bring this to the boil and pour into casserole. This makes sure that all the goodness and flavour from the frying pan goes into the dish and not down the drain.

Bring juices in casserole to boil, and simmer uncovered 5 minutes skimming the surface from time to time. Add the carrots and simmer, tightly covered until duck pieces are tender (about 1½ hours).

This can be done either on top of the stove or in a preheated 300F/150C oven.

Drop the small onions into boiling water, and remove to cold water after 5 - 10 seconds. Peel, making sure that you remove only the minimum from root and leaf ends. They should stay intact during the cooking process.

Combine onions, water, butter and sugar in a medium sized frying pan. Heat over medium heat, simmer, stirring occasionally until water has evaporated - abt 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook onions, shaking pan occasionally until tender and well browned, about another 8 minutes.

Alternatively, first fry for about 10 minutes, shaking almost all the time, then to add the liquid which can be red wine and or stock instead of water, together with a bouquet garni, and simmer over the lowest possible heat until thoroughly tender. set aside until ready to finish dish.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large frying pan until very hot. Fry bread triangles, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

Drain on paper towel, then rub each triangle lightly _one side only_ with the cut surface of the garlic clove.

30 minutes before serving, add onions (with juices) and prunes to the dish, reheat gently & simmer 15 minutes. Put duck in centre of large serving dish, arrange remaining ingredients around, sprinkle with parsley, cover and keep warm. Defat sauce, season, pour over.

Surround with warmed croutes, and serve.

Submitted By IAN HOARE On 08-20-95

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