Venetian Duck Ragu

This venetian duck ragu recipe is from the March 2014 BBC Good Food magazine.   I made it quite a few times around then and saved it in the Zest app that I used to use prior to setting up Felly Bull.   It hadn't been made for quite a while, until now...but is definitely one worth sharing!    David isn't a huge fan of cinnamon, but the taste is quite subtle in this dish.   It has a lovely warm and comforting flavour and although it takes a bit of time to cook slowly on the hob...it's definitely worth the wait.

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How to make this Venetian Duck Ragu

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 duck legs
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
• 250ml red wine
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 1 chicken stock cube or pot (made up to 250ml)
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp milk
• 600g paccheri or pappardelle pasta (see Tips)
• grated parmesan, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or casserole dish on a medium to high heat. Add the duck legs and brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then stir in the cinnamon and flour and cook for another minute. Return the duck to the pan, add the wine, tomatoes, stock cube or pot, herbs, sugar and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 2 hours, stirring every now and then.
2. 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 skin, 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 to 15 minutes while you cook the pasta.
3. 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 minute more, adding a splash of cooking liquid if it looks dry. Serve with grated parmesan…and some homemade bread!