Venetian Duck Ragu
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil - 1 tbls
- Duck Legs - 4
- Onions - 2 finely chopped
- Garlic - 2 cloves minced
- Cinnamon - 2 tsp ground
- Plain Flour - 2 tsp
- Red Wine - 250ml
- Chopped Tomatoes - 800g
- Chicken Stock Cube - 1
- Rosemary - 3 sprigs
- Bay Leaves - 2
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Milk - 2 tbs
- Paccheri Pasta - 600g
- Parmesan Cheese - Grated
Instructions
- 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