Pappardelle with wine & herb-braised duck

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 small To medium-sized duck, cut into small serving pieces
Salt and pepper
2 cups Boiling water
10 Dried shiitake mushrooms
2 Onions, chopped
2 tablespoons Olive oil
4 ounces Pancetta, diced (prosciutto or other full-flavored ham may be substituted)
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Carrot, diced
6 Sage leaves
1 Sprig rosemary
1 cup Dry red wine
1 cup Beef broth
2 tablespoons Tomato paste
¼ teaspoon Fennel seeds
6 Kale leaves, or outer cabbage leaves
2 cups Cooked, drained cranberry beans or borlotti beans
1 pounds Pappardelle
Freshly grated cheese, to taste

Directions

Sprinkle duck generously with salt and pepper, prick the skin well with a fork (this helps the fat to drain out), then place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes. Pour off fat from pan once or twice during cooking, and discard. Meanwhile, pour the boiling water over mushrooms. Cover and let rehydrate. Set aside. Lightly saute onion in olive oil with pancetta, garlic and carrot until onion is softened, then add half of the sage and the rosemary. Pour in half of the wine; boil down until reduced by about half, then add remaining wine and half of the broth.

Continue to boil down for about 5 minutes, then add tomato paste and fennel seeds. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. When duck is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces and add to sauce. Blanch the greens quickly in boiling water, drain and run under cold water. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to the simmering sauce, along with the beans. Pour all the fat out of duck-roasting pan. Place pan over medium heat and add remaining broth, stirring to incorporate any full-flavored bits. Add this liquid to the simmering sauce, along with remaining sage leaves.

Remove mushrooms from their soaking liquid, discard stems, and slice caps; add to sauce. Strain the mushroom-soaking liquid through a double layer of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter, and add to the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, strain into a saucepan and boil down until reduced in volume and intensified in flavor. Return to sauce solids. Cook pappardelle until al dente, then serve with the sauce.

Sprinkle cheese on top. Serves 4 to 6.

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