Pappardelle with Duck and Porcini Ragù
A long braise in red wine and broth turns duck legs into a rich and deeply flavorful ragù – one that's easier to make than you might think. Dried porcini add woodsy depth. Use it to dress luscious handmade pappardelle, handmade pici or good dried imported pasta — any which way, it's a winner.
Serves 4 -6.
Ingredients
4 or 5 duck legs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons duck fat or olive oil
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 dried or 3 fresh bay leaves
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or passata)
1 cup chicken broth
1 recipe of Fresh Egg Pasta cut into pappardelle, or 1 pound of dried pappardelle (or other pasta)
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
1. Dry the duck legs and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the duck legs (skin side down), and brown them about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the duck legs to a plate and set aside. Pour off and all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat (if you used duck fat, you can strain and save it for another use).
2. While the duck legs are browning, place the dried porcini in a small bowl, breaking up any large pieces. Pour 1 cup of boiling water onto it to reconstitute the mushrooms.
3. Add the onion, carrot and garlic cloves to the pan and cook them over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, till the onion is soft and translucent. And the thyme and bay leaf and cook a few more seconds. Turn heat to high, add the red wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits of duck on the bottom with a wooden spoon and stirring. Continue cooking about 10 minutes after the pan is deglazed. Add the chicken broth, along with the crushed tomatoes, the dried porcini and its soaking liquid. Stir to combine and add the duck legs, along with any liquid they've given off.
4. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover the Dutch oven and let the mixture simmer for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, turning the duck legs once or twice and skimming off the fat from the top now and then. (There will probably be a lot of fat to skim.)
5. Remove the duck legs to a cutting board and pull all the duck meat off the bones, which will be very easy as the meat will be falling-off-the-bone tender. Discard the skins and bones. (This is a good time to bring your pasta water to a boil.) Skim the fat from the ragù if necessary, then return the duck meat to the pot and stir to combine, along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer the ragù 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered over medium-low heat, till the ragù looks and smells so delicious you can't stand not to be eating it. Adjust the seasoning.
6. While the ragù finishes simmering, cook the pasta in salted water for about three minutes (if using fresh), or it is al dente (if using dried). When the pasta is nearly done, add a big spoonful of the cooking water to the ragù, and stir it in to loosen it up. Use tongs or a spider to pull the pasta out of the water and drop it into the pan with the ragù. Use two spoons to toss the pasta in the sauce, coating it, and continue cooking for a minute or two. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
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Pappardelle with Duck and Porcini Ragù
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 duck legs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons duck fat or olive oil
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 dried or 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or passata)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 recipe of Fresh Egg Pasta cut into pappardelle, or 1 pound of dried pappardelle (or other pasta)
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Dry the duck legs and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the duck legs (skin side down), and brown them about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the duck legs to a plate and set aside. Pour off and all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat (if you used duck fat, you can strain and save it for another use).
- While the duck legs are browning, place the dried porcini in a small bowl, breaking up any large pieces. Pour 1 cup of boiling water onto it to reconstitute the mushrooms.
- Add the onion, carrot and garlic cloves to the pan and cook them over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, till the onion is soft and translucent. And the thyme and bay leaf and cook a few more seconds. Turn heat to high, add the red wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits of duck on the bottom with a wooden spoon and stirring. Continue cooking about 10 minutes after the pan is deglazed. Add the chicken broth, along with the crushed tomatoes, the dried porcini and its soaking liquid. Stir to combine and add the duck legs, along with any liquid they've given off.
- Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover the Dutch oven and let the mixture simmer for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, turning the duck legs once or twice and skimming off the fat from the top now and then. (There will probably be a lot of fat to skim.)
- Remove the duck legs to a cutting board and pull all the duck meat off the bones, which will be very easy as the meat will be falling-off-the-bone tender. Discard the skins and bones. (This is a good time to bring your pasta water to a boil.) Skim the fat from the ragù if necessary, then return the duck meat to the pot and stir to combine, along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer the ragù 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered over medium-low heat, till the ragù looks and smells so delicious you can't stand not to be eating it. Adjust the seasoning.
- While the ragù finishes simmering, cook the pasta in salted water for about three minutes (if using fresh), or it is al dente (if using dried). When the pasta is nearly done, add a big spoonful of the cooking water to the ragù, and stir it in to loosen it up. Use tongs or a spider to pull the pasta out of the water and drop it into the pan with the ragù. Use two spoons to toss the pasta in the sauce, coating it, and continue cooking for a minute or two. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
