Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

Next to chickens ducks are a simple and versatile farm animal even for a suburban homestead. They are quiet, easy to care for and provide eggs that are great for baking and meat that is wonderful for eating. While having breeding stock is a year-round affair, raising meat ducks is a fairly short endeavor, about seven weeks from hatch to slaughter. If you’re hankering for an addition to your productive small homestead that will produce a rich, flavorful meat that is no more difficult to raise or cook than chickens or turkeys, then by all means try ducks. To learn more about raising meat ducks, check out our post Raising Ducks for Meat.

I can still remember the first time I ever ate duck stroganoff. We had spent the day in a costal wine region tromping through vineyards, tasting newly released varietals, and sipping fresh pressed cider from local orchards. It was fall and the leaves were beginning to turn red and gold and orange and brown. The crisp evening air was beginning to smell like fall as we pulled into a tiny town full of antique stores, boutiques and trendy little bistros; a combination of fog and sea, freshly turned soil with a hint of wine and apples. It was heavenly.

The town was bustling with day-trippers heading back to the city. We popped into a few shops just to look before we walked down the street to a local café. We had eaten there before, but only for lunch and were excited to see what their dinner menu offered built out of locally sourced ingredients. We were far from being disappointed; it was a great choice and a fabulous meal.

I opted for the braised short ribs bathed in a rich red wine and beef sauce, nestled on top of garlic mash potatoes, but sis’s choice stole the show. A duck and mushroom stroganoff that we both had been eyeing. Better to choose two different entrees and share than the same one and not try something new.

This was unlike anything I had grown up with or made at home. The sauce was bold with the flavor of mushrooms, the duck was fall-off-the-bone tender and the papardelle was perfect at capturing the vegetables and broth. It put every stroganoff I had eaten till then to shame. Seriously!

As the evening drew on the restaurant began to thin out with fewer and fewer tables occupied. We were getting ready to leave when our serve came over to ask if there was anything else we needed. Jokingly I replied, “I’d sure like that duck stroganoff recipe”. She smiled and went to check on a few other tables. When we finally stood up and gathered our coats to leave she came over to say goodbye and gave us a copy of the evening menu. She said they changed it every night to take advantage of what was fresh and available in the area. I thought it was a nice gesture since we had chatted with her throughout the evening. It wasn’t until we were walking back to the car that we stopped to look in a store window. Half paying attention, I glanced down at the discarded menu only to discover handwriting on the back. And, wouldn’t you know it, it was the duck recipe written out by hand. I don’t know whether the server snuck it out of the kitchen or if the chef willing gave it away, and frankly I didn’t care. I had a recipe for one of the most scrumptious meals I had tasted in a long time. And, with a batch of homegrown ducks in my freezer I knew exactly what I was going to do with them. If you love rich, indulgent and flavorful meals then give this one a try.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 lbs. duck legs, skin and fat removed

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

6 large shallots, chopped fine

1 large carrot, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 slices of prosciutto, chopped fine

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

4 garlic cloves, chopped fine

¼ oz dried porcini mushrooms, ground to a powder in a spice grinder

8 oz fresh mushrooms, cremini, porcini or Portobello, sliced

1-1/2 cup white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1 pkg pappardelle

½ c ricotta cheese

2 tbsp grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat olive oil until shimmering. Season duck legs with salt and pepper and place in the casserole. Cook over medium high heat, turning once, until browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes; remove and place on plate.

Pour off all but 2tbsps of fat from the casserole. Add shallots, carrot, celery, prosciutto and mushrooms, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Coo k over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the veggies are softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in porcini powder and wine. Simmer, scraping up browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Return duck legs to casserole cover and braise in the oven until legs are tender, about 1-1/2 hour; turn duck legs half way through.

Transfer duck legs to plate and cool slightly. Pull meat from bone and shred into small pieces. Return shredded duck to ragu and season with salt and pepper; discard rosemary stems and keep warm.

Cook pappardelle in large pan of salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups of cooking water. In a bowl, whisk ricotta with 2 tbsp of cooking water until smooth.

Add pasta to ragu along with ¾ cup of reserved cooking liquid and 2 tbsp of pecorino. Cook over medium heat stirring gently until pasta is hot and coated with sauce; add more cooking water if sauce becomes too thick. Spoon pasta ragu mixture into shallow bowls, top with ricotta and serve, passing pecorino at the table.