Stewed Brome Lake duck with tomato and green olives anatra alle olive verdi

• Préparation : 30 minutes
• Cuisson : 120 minutes
• Portions : 8

Ingrédients

• 2 whole Brome Lake ducks, about 2.6 to 2.7 kg each or 4 half-ducks, cut into 10 pieces, bone-in *
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) melted Brome Lake duck fat (or olive oil)
• 125 ml (½ cup) onion, chopped
• 125 ml (½ cup) carrots, diced
• 60 ml (¼ cup) celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs Italian parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 250 ml (1 cup) of Italian red wine (Valpolicella)
• 1500 ml (6 cups or 2 X 796 ml cans) San Marzano whole plum tomatoes
• 900 ml (3 X 300 ml jars) Brome Lake duck stock (or half stock and half water)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) green Calabrese or Barese olives, rinsed, pitted and chopped **
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ml (¼ tsp) fennel seeds, crushed and chopped
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 ml (¼ tsp) lemon zest (yellow part only)
• 1 ml (¼ tsp) fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 3 ml (½ tsp) pitted green olives, finely chopped

Préparation

1. Dab the pieces of duck with paper towels. Season with salt, a little ground fennel and ground black pepper. In a heavy saucepan of adequate size, heat the duck fat or oil over medium heat. Brown all of the pieces of duck a few pieces at a time, skin side down, until they are nicely browned and the skin becomes thinner. Turn and brown on the other side. Transfer to a plate. Set aside the breast pieces. Pour off the excess fat, keeping 30 ml (2 tbsp) in the saucepan.

2. In the same saucepan, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cook over medium heat until vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, duck stock and parsley. Add the olives, except 3 ml (½ tsp). Stir, then cover and bring to a boil. Add the thigh and drumsticks pieces only. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the meat separates easily from the bone. Check the seasoning and add more salt to taste during cooking.

3. Once cooked, remove the thigh and drumstick pieces carefully from the sauce and transfer to a plate. Cover and set aside. Add the breast pieces to the tomato sauce and simmer over very low heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove the breast pieces from the sauce and place with the others.

4. Boil the sauce uncovered until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and place the cooked duck pieces in the sauce. Heat over low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and take out the bay leaves. Add more thyme and chopped parsley to the sauce, as needed.

5. To make the gremolata: Chop and mix together the parsley, thyme, olives and lemon zest. Sprinkle a little gremolata over the warm duck and serve.

Recipe from Domenico Forte, professional chef

Accompagnement

Trucs et astuces

* Ask your butcher to cut the ducks into pieces, if desired.

** The green olives must not be too salty. These olives are sold in jars at L’Intermarché or Milano on Rue St-Laurent in Montreal, and other fine food stores.