Duck Ragu with Polenta

Meat Dishes Duck and Goose

Recipe: Duck Ragu with Polenta

Sunday dinner. Inspired from here.

Ingredients

2 duck legs
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves
50 ml dry red wine
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar)
450 ml chicken broth (or water)
4 anchovy fillets
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
4 allspice berries
salt, pepper

Polenta

1 cup cornmeal
2 cups whole milk
3 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 level tablespoons grated Parmesan

Servings: 3

How to prepare duck ragu with polenta

  1. Place the duck legs in a pan skin-side down. Fry on low heat until they start to release their fat. Then you can increase the heat a bit and brown the legs on both sides. The whole process will take about 15 minutes. Remove the legs to a plate.
  2. Drain most of the fat released by the legs from the pan, leaving about 2-3 tablespoons. Add the onion, celery, and carrot diced into small cubes. Saute the vegetables until the onion is soft and smells sweet. Add the crushed garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
  3. Deglaze the vegetables with vinegar and let it evaporate. Add the wine and simmer on medium heat until it almost evaporates completely.
  4. Add the chopped anchovy fillets and tomato paste. Stir and fry for 1 minute.
  5. Add the broth, allspice berries, and bring to a boil. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
  6. Place the legs in an oven-safe dish/pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over them. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 170C for 90 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, prepare the polenta following the instructions here.
  8. Remove the legs from the sauce, remove the skin, and pull the meat off the bones. Cut into slices or cubes.
  9. Degrease the remaining sauce by skimming the fat from the surface with a spoon.
  10. Put the cut meat back in the sauce and stir. Taste the sauce for salt.
  11. Duck ragu can be prepared a day ahead. Polenta should be prepared just before serving. Serve the ragu over hot polenta.

Browned duck legs

Browned duck legs

Sauteed onion, carrot, and celery

Sauteed onion, carrot, and celery

Deglazing with vinegar and wine

Deglazing with vinegar and wine

Adding tomato paste

Adding tomato paste

Duck legs with sauce going into the oven

Duck legs with sauce going into the oven

Baked duck legs

Baked duck legs

Meat cut into cubes

Meat cut into cubes

Ingredients

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