Ragù All'anatra

Ragù all'Anatra (Italian Duck Ragù)

A rich, slow-simmered Italian duck ragù from the Veneto region, traditionally served with fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle. Duck legs are braised with aromatic soffritto, tomato, and a splash of red wine until the meat falls from the bone.

Prep

25 min

Cook

150 min

Total

175 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 whole duck legs, skin on, bone in — traditional choice; skin provides rendered fat for sautéing
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, or use rendered duck fat for a more traditional flavor
• •200 g (7 oz) yellow onions, 1 large, finely diced (soffritto)
• •30 g (¼ cup) celery, 1 rib, finely diced (soffritto)
• •30 g (¼ cup) carrot, 1 small, finely diced (soffritto)
• •15 g (4 cloves) garlic, minced
• •125 ml (½ cup) dry red wine, Italian Merlot or Chianti; do not skip — wine is part of the traditional braise
• •400 g (14 oz) canned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand; passata is an acceptable substitute
• •30 g (2 tbsp) tomato paste
• •1 L (4 cups) duck or chicken stock, low-sodium; duck stock preferred for authenticity
• •1 g (1 sprig) fresh rosemary
• •2 g (2 leaves) fresh bay leaves
• •15 g (¼ cup loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus extra for serving
• •2 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •1 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •1 pinch ground nutmeg, optional but traditional in northern Italian duck ragù
• •500 g (1.1 lb) fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, egg pasta, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Pat the duck legs thoroughly dry with paper towels and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the soffritto.
2. 2 Heat the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or wide braising pan over medium heat. Place the duck legs skin-side down and sear undisturbed for 6–8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden-brown and much of the fat has rendered. Flip and brown the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the rendered fat.
3. 3 Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan. Cook gently, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes until softened and translucent but not browned.
4. 4 Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, pressing the paste against the pan, until fragrant and darkened slightly.
5. 5 Pour in the red wine, scraping up every brown bit from the base of the pan. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the wine reduces by about half and the raw alcohol smell has cooked off.
6. 6 Add the crushed tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, nutmeg (if using), and a pinch of salt. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
7. 7 Nestle the duck legs back into the sauce along with any juices on the plate. Pour in enough stock to come roughly two-thirds of the way up the duck legs — do not fully submerge them. Bring to a gentle simmer.
8. 8 Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, and simmer very gently for 2 to 2½ hours. The duck is safely cooked and ready when the meat pulls easily from the bone with a fork and the sauce has thickened to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency. The internal temperature of the thigh meat should read 82–85°C (180–185°F). Stir occasionally; if the sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash of stock.
9. 9 Remove the duck legs and let them rest until cool enough to handle. Discard the rosemary stem and bay leaves. Pull the meat from the bones in large chunks, discarding skin if you prefer a leaner sauce (or chop it finely to add back richness), and stir the meat back into the sauce. Skim excess surface fat if desired.
10. 10 Stir in the chopped parsley, taste, and adjust salt and pepper. Keep the ragù at a bare simmer while you cook the pasta.
11. 11 Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil (about 10 g salt per liter / 1 tbsp per quart). Cook the fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle until just al dente — typically 2–3 minutes for fresh egg pasta. Reserve 125 ml (½ cup) of pasta water before draining.
12. 12 Add the drained pasta directly to the ragù along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss gently over low heat for 30 seconds until every strand is cloaked in sauce.
13. 13 Divide among warmed bowls, finish with a generous grind of black pepper and a small shower of fresh parsley, and serve immediately.