Hi Everyone,

Hope you’ve had a great week.  It’s been fabulous to see the rain and also know that all the fires are out.  The weather is starting to cool and whilst I’ll  still be doing some salads as autumn moves in, I really wanted to try this duck ragu. It’s a recipe that requires more of your time than others I have done so not an after work meal.  There’s not a lot of ingredients in the sauce so it’s fairly straight forward but I don’t cook duck very often and when I have it’s been a bit of a flop so I wanted to revisit the thing I have messed up and give it another go but from a different angle.  The idea of a slow cook appealed to me and making the pappardelle by hand was also inviting – almost therapeutic in a way.  I liken it to sewing or knitting – there is a total emersion in the task.

This recipe needs to be started at least a day ahead.  I started on Monday and salted the duck Marylands for 24 hours before doing the slow cook on Tuesday and keeping the meat in an airtight container in the fridge for Wednesday.  Keep in mind that duck Marylands don’t amount to much meat once shredded from the bone.

So would I do the duck ragu again?  Mmmm, probably not – a lot of work for a moderate flavour experience and I have done many a ragu that offer up a greater depth of flavour.  Having said that, it was great to try cooking duck again and it probably won’t be the last time I do but just not this particular recipe.

Until next week loverlies.

From my table to yours with love. x

Pappardelle with Duck Ragu & Sugar Snaps

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 duck marylands
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 4 c duck fat
• 6 ripe tomatoes halved
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 sprigs thyme picked
• 1 brown onion diced
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 10 g butter
• 1/3 c good quality beef stock
• 200 g sugar snap peas trimmed
• grated parmesan to serve
• 2 1/2 c OO plain flour
• 4 eggs

Method

 

1. Rub duck skin with sea salt and place in a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours
2. Preheat oven to 115°C. Place duck fat in a medium saucepan over a medium low heat for 10 minutes or until melted. Pour fat over duck, completely covering it. Cover dish with baking paper, then foil. Roast for 4 hours or until meat is falling off bones. Transfer duck to a plate and cool.
3. Strain fat through a fine sieve into a jug. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for later use. Discard duck skin and bones. Shred duck meat and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate until required.
4. Meanwhile to make pappardelle, place flour in a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in centre of flour and break eggs into well. Using your fingers, work egg into flour to form a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. (Pasta can also be made using an electric mixer fitted with dough hook.) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour to rest.
5. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Using a rolling pin, roll out each portion until about 1-2mm thick and 30cm wide. Dust rolled dough with flour and stack. Roll up dough stack lengthways to form a log. Cut log into 1cm pieces. Separate pasta into 'ribbons' and toss with a little more flour. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until required.
6. Preheat oven to 170°c. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place tomatoes on prepared tray. Drizzle with half of oil and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Season with salt & pepper. Roast for 40 mins or until softened. Cool.
7. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and roasted tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for 10-15 mins or until mixture thickens. Press sauce through a mouli or fine sieve and return to frying pan. Add shredded duck meat, butter and 1 tbsp of stock. Stir over a high heat until butter melts. Add remaining stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins or until slightly thickened.
8. Cook pappardelle in a large saucepan of boiling water for 3 mins or until al dente, adding sugar snaps for last 1 minute of cooking. Drain. Add pappardelle and sugar snaps to duck ragu and toss to combine. Divide among plates and top with parmesan to serve.

Notes

Source: Unknown (from the doctor's waiting room)

Fig & Raspberry Clafoutis

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 c caster sugar
• 1/2 c plain flour
• 2 c pouring cream
• 3 medium fresh figs cut into wedges
• 125 g raspberries
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar
• 2 tsp icing sugar

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°c. Grease a shallow 2 litre ovenproof dish
2. Whisk eggs, vanilla paste, caster sugar and flour in a medium bowl until smooth. Add cream; whisk to combine. Pour mixture into dish.
3. Arrange figs and raspberries over mixture; sprinkle with demerara sugar.
4. Bake clafoutis for about 40 mins. Stand 10 mins before serving. Dust with sifter icing sugar.

Notes

Source: Women's Weekly The Baking Collection