Pinot Noir and duck is a classic pairing. Duck and Merlot – another classic. I also like Gamay with duck.
But, because we’ve slow-cooked the duck in a savoury tomato sauce, you can play with your wine pairing – most medium reds will go well.
Duck Ragu
Elevate your pasta to a new level with this rich and luxurious duck ragu! Slow cooking makes this easy – the duck legs infuse the sauce with flavour while becoming so tender that the meat will melt in your mouth. This is a great recipe to impress friends and family, but also easy enough to make on a weekday when you’re craving comfort food.
Servings
6 Servings
PREP TIME
60 mins
COOK TIME
6+ hours
TOTAL TIME
9+ hours
Difficulty
Easy
Wine pairing
Gamay, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil (preferably spray olive oil)
1 tbsp butter
1 kg duck legs or maryland
100 g pancetta, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery sticks, diced
200 g portobello mushrooms, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
120 g tomato paste
400 g tomato puree or passata
½ cup wine (see note)
1 beef stock cube
10 g porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dried mixed Italian herbs
½ tsp pepper
cooked pasta, such as pappardelle, to serve
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil (preferably spray olive oil)
1 tbsp butter
2 lbs duck legs or maryland
3 oz pancetta, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery sticks, diced
½ lb portobello mushrooms, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
4 oz tomato paste
1 lb tomato puree or passata
½ cup wine (see note)
1 beef stock cube
½ oz porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dried mixed Italian herbs
½ tsp pepper
cooked pasta, such as pappardelle, to serve
- Only duck legs or maryland will work in this dish (duck breast is not suitable for slow cooking).
- This dish works well with either a dry white or red wine. Or, try a Port/Tawny wine for an even more intense, savoury kick.
- Diced pancetta (or proscuitto if you prefer) adds a savouriness which, believe it or not, you can taste the difference when it’s not there. If you don’t eat pork you can omit this, the ragu will still be delicious. Freeze the pancetta for 5-10 minutes before dicing (it’s easier to cut this way).
- I chop my porcini mushrooms when they’re dry, then re-hydrate them directly with the beef stock cube for ease and maximum flavour.
- I purposely haven’t listed salt in the ingredients due to the saltiness of other ingredients (pancetta, Worcestershire sauce). You may find you don’t end up needing to add salt at all – taste the dish right at the end to decide.
- If you have fresh herbs on hand, grab a few sprigs each of varieties such as basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary and sage, tie them together with cooking twine and add them before slow cooking. Remove and discard the ‘bouquet garni’ when you remove the meat.
Variations
Serve over cooked pasta of your choice – pappardelle is my preference.
If you have leftover ragu (which rarely happens in my house!) you could make it into a lasagne. I also absolutely love using duck ragu as a filling for homemade pies.
Directions
1Prepare the ingredients
1. This recipe is easy to follow if you have everything prepared before you start:
- Dice the pancetta into small cubes or strips.
- Dice the onion, carrot and celery.
- Crush the garlic.
- Slice the portobello mushrooms.
Tip: Prepare these ingredients the day before and store covered in the fridge overnight, so the next morning you just need to get the slow cooker on and then let it take care of the rest!
2Put the slow cooker on
Note: If your slow cooker has a sear/saute setting, do the following steps directly in the slow cooker. Otherwise you’ll need to cook the ingredients first on the stove top, and then transfer them to the slow cooker.
1. Add the chopped porcini mushrooms to a mug along with the crushed beef stock cube. Fill with 1 cup of boiling water and leave aside (this step is necessary to re-hydrate the porcini mushrooms).
2. Turn your slow cooker on to the saute setting. Spray a little olive oil in the bowl (or add just a touch of oil, since the duck and pancetta are going to release fat as they cook).
3. Render the duck skin on medium heat until it’s browned. Turn and repeat on the other side, then remove to a plate when done.
4. Add the pancetta and cook until it’s just beginning to crisp (about 3 minutes).
5. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re softened (about 5 minutes).
6. Add the butter and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms have softened, about 4 minutes.
7. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until it has reduced by about half (this will only take a minute or two).
Note: If you cooked the vegetables on the stove top, transfer them to the slow cooker now.
8. Add the tomato paste and puree, the entire mug of stock and porcini mushrooms, the Worcestershire sauce and herbs, and the pepper.
9. Submerge the duck legs in the sauce, and set the slow cooker on to low for at least 6 hours (or longer, if you have the time).
3Shred the duck
1. When the slow cooker is done, remove the duck legs to a large chopping board using tongs and a slotted spoon (the duck will most likely be so tender that it falls off the bone, so the slotted spoon will help you remove the legs).
2. Skim any large amounts of oil off the surface of the sauce using a large metal spoon.
3. Use two forks to shred the duck into smaller pieces and discard the bones.
Important: Duck legs contain long, thin bones that can be tricky to spot (see the photo below). Take care to search through the shredded meat and remove these.
4. Re-add the shredded duck to the sauce and stir through. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Tip: If you think the sauce is too thin after stirring the duck meat through, you can simmer it until it reduces to your desired consistency. Note, it will thicken slightly on standing.
5. Serve the ragu over pasta – I prefer pappardelle.
Wine pairing