Duck Leg Guazzetto

Preparation

1. Prepping and Cooking the Sauce Base

   Step 1

   Trim the excess skin and all the visible clods of fat from the duck legs, then shave off the skin and the thick fat layer that covers the thigh, exposing the meat. Leave a strip of skin and fat covering about a third of the thigh (and the skin on the drumstick) to add flavor. Depending on how well the legs were trimmed by the butcher, you may remove a pound or more of fat (see box, page 327).

   Step 2

   Lift the soaked porcini from the soaking liquid, then squeeze the juices back into it. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces; strain the soaking liquid (for details, see box, page 140) and keep in a warm spot.

   Step 3

   Film the pan bottom with the olive oil, and set over medium-high heat. When quite hot, lay in the duck pieces, skin side down, and let them sear for a couple of minutes in place. When they’re slightly crusted, turn them over and brown the other side; turn to brown all the surfaces a bit, 6 to 8 minutes in all.

   Step 4

   Remove the duck to a bowl and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt all over. Scatter the minced bacon into the pan, and stir it around so the fat starts to render quickly. Cook for about 2 minutes, scraping up the crisp duck bits in the pan.

   Step 5

   When the bacon is rendered and sizzling, dump in the minced onions and stir them in the fat. Cook for about 5 minutes as they sweat, sizzle, and wilt, then stir in the chopped porcini. Clear a hot spot in the pan bottom, drop in the tomato paste, toast it for a minute, then stir it in with the onions.

   Step 6

   Return the duck legs to the pan, pour in any juices they’ve re-leased, then toss them with the vegetables so they heat up on all sides. Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and let it boil until almost completely evaporated as you turn the duck several times in the pan.

2. Long-Cooking the Sauce

   Step 7

   Pour in the mushroom-soaking water and enough hot broth just to cover the legs. Stir in the bay leaves, the rosemary sprig, and the cloves, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover, and adjust the heat to maintain steady perking of bubbles all over the surface of the sauce.

   Step 8

   Cook for about 2 1/2 hours or more, checking every 20 minutes or so and adding just enough more broth to keep the meat covered. If the level of liquid is falling much faster, lower the heat to slow the evaporation; if the sauce level drops slowly or not at all, raise the heat and set the cover ajar to speed its concentration. When done, the duck meat should be falling off the bone.

3. Finishing the Guazzetto

   Step 9

   Remove from the heat, add several grindings of black pepper, taste the sauce, and adjust the seasonings. If you’ll be using the sauce right away, spoon or pour off the fat from the surface. (Otherwise, wait until you’ve chilled the sauce and lift off the solidified layer of fat.)

   Step 10

   Let the legs cool completely in the sauce. Before refrigerating or serving, lift them onto a large platter or board; also pick out the bay leaves and herb stems and discard. Strip and trim all the edible duck meat from the legs; discard bones, skin, and cartilage.

   Step 11

   Tear the tender meat into rough bite-size pieces. If you have much more meat than sauce—which you may well get from meaty legs—don’t put it all into the pot. Guazzetto should have the character of a thick sauce chock-full of meat, not that of a stew of meat chunks, so you want a one-to-one ratio of sauce to shredded meat. Fold that amount of duck in, and what you don’t use up now will be delicious in soups, salads, or pastas, or it will make an excellent hash.

   Step 12

   Use the guazzetto now, or chill it thoroughly. Store for several days in the refrigerator, or freeze it, in measured amounts for different dishes, for use within a few months.

4. Good With . . .

   Step 13

   Dry and fresh pasta

   Step 14

   Gnocchi

   Step 15

   Polenta

   Step 16

   To make risotto

   Step 17

   To stuff and dress ravioli