Pasta Night: Scialatelli con ragu d'anatra (pasta with duck ragu)

1 duck breast chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 large carrot chopped
1 large shallot
Olive oil
Very tiny amount of Thyme
Splash of Riesling
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups veal stock
2 teaspoons duck and veal demi glace
1 pound scialatelli pasta (dry)

I pan grill the duck alongside its skin to keep it ‘fatted’. Once both side nicely browned I slice in half lengthwise and grill the inside to nearly still pink. I put aside to cool. I heat some oil in the pan and place the mirepoix in and sauté until nearly translucent. I add the tomatoes and let simmer a bit. Deglaze with a splash of white wine (tonight: Riesling). Add the time, salt and pepper and let cook for a few minutes. Add the stock and bring to boil, then add back the duck cubed to about ¼ inch squares. Lower hear and cook for 5 minutes. Add some fresh basil and remove from heat. Place boiled pasta into the mix and toss until well coated. Plate atop a bed of fresh basil and grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano —Mangia!

Tonight I serve this alongside a 2001 Girard Red Wine. Life=good [cheers.gif]



You and I need to cook together this winter.
I would have done this with legs. Braise them and use the braising liquid as a sauce base.
But I didn’t taste what you made so…

Mike,

What are you using for your veal stock and demi’s? Source?

Paul

D’Artagnan demi glace and Kitchen Basics stock. Both pretty awesome for what they are.

Mark, good plan. I wanted to get this done quicker, so the sear plan seemed about right—tonight. I am sure the purists amongst ‘them’ will balk—but I don’t care. :slight_smile:
It’s results I seek. Just call me the Aluminum Chef. :slight_smile:

By the way, In tasting the duck from pan, I knew I was on track it was beautifully browned and had a great balance of sweetness from that sear, moisture and salineness that carried over to the final dish. The basil was key on this one.
Cheers!

Kitchen Basics Veal stock…yep got that. I usually buy their stuff by the case.

I check out the Demi’s

Check out the recipe in Food and Wine 's February 2011issue. It’s called Pappardelle with Duck Ragu, and it uses storebought duck confit legs (I buy mine at The Fatted Calf at Oxbow, Napa). I have made it at least half a dozen times, with my best results coming from following the proportions EXACTLY. My daughter and I just love this dish. No tomato, just packed with rich meaty flavor.

Merrill. I will find that one. Thanks.
it’s amazing how red this actually is by using just one tablespoon of paste.

happy new year to year to you and you daughter!!

And Happy New Year to you, too, Mike.

Just got back from Boston and, sadly, none of the places I ate at was serving my favorite Nantucket Bay Scallops. I did some damage on the pasta front, however: Mac and Cheese with Lobster at XV Beacon’s Mooo Restaurant, a Ragu-type meat sauce on homemade papardelle (a special of the day) at Toscano on Charles St., Truffled gnocchi with lobster at No. 9 Park, and a reinvented restaurant in Andover (burbs) served a rigatoni with rabe, pacetta and garlic. Didn’t gain an ounce!

Mike, just out of curiosity, do you own/drink any Italian wine?

Hi Bob. I don’t drink it regularly and own exactly 2 bottles of Barolo.
Happy Yew Year! [cheers.gif]

Nice dish. [cheers.gif]

Yeah, I knew from your TNs that you and I don’t have the same tastes in wine, but that’s a dish that really seems made for a nice chianti.

Hi Mike, I’d like to try your recipe but I don’t follow the 1st sentence, “alongside its skin to keep it fatted.” That sounds like skin side down but that would render, not retain, fat. Are you using a fat breast, like a Moulard, or something leaner, like a Muscovy?

Thanks,
Rich

Last year we were in Verona, Italy and stopped at a wine bar for a quick nip before heading out to dinner. Glanced at menu and saw duck ragu and convinced my significant other that maybe we should hunker down and give it a try. Glad we did, it was an incredibly delicious and an eye opener to the possibilities of duck usage.
After getting home added it to our repertoire and never tire of it.
Speaking of ragu, has anybody tried this oxtail ragu from Mario’s Babbo? Incredibly wholesome and comforting (and meaty!!)

http://twocoasttable.com/post/1179685886/gnocchi-with-oxtail-ragu

I actually havent tried it with the gnocchi but great with Latini pastas of any shape.

Hi Rich. I knew by choosing a breast I would be opting for a ‘leaner’ part of a duck. Although you see skin (removed) positioned up in photo, it was mostly down and rendering enough fat to stop me from adding another fat like oil or butter. Not sure what bird it was from though, but this rag-tag choice worked well for me. The breat had great flavor wothout seasoning. I was actually shocked.
Cheers!