DUCK WITH PEARS - ÀNEC AMB PERES

This recipe is very traditional in some parts of Catalonia, especially in the area where I come from. You can find it in many restaurants that serve traditional Catalan food. The last time I ate it was at a restaurant in Vic, and to be honest I wasn't that impressed. I suppose that I compared it with the one my mum used to cook, which was much better. I myself had cooked her recipe a long time ago, and it was just delicious. I had to call my 90+ year old mother in Catalonia to ask her for the recipe, because I had forgotten some of the ingredients and steps. I also wanted to make sure that our family recipe is kept alive. The result was simply amazing. Really comfort food for a very cold winter night.

Ingredients
1 large duck
50ml dry sherry
olive oil
pork or duck fat
1 apple
6 Beurre Bosc or similar pears
1 lemon
Stock
the neck from the duck
1 parsnip
1 turnip
1 leek
1 carrot
1 stick celery

3 Tbsp vegetable stock paste
salt
3 L of water
Sauce
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
200g chopped tomatoes
1 bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf)
1 cinnamon stick
50ml brandy
Picada
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly fried
4 roasted almonds
4 roasted hazelnuts or 1 Tbsp pine nuts
3 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only, fried
1 small slice bread, fried with a bit of oil until crunchy or 1 digestive biscuit
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flour
20g dark chocolate, grated

Preparation
The previous day
Put the duck in a baking dish. Using a cooking syringe, inject the sherry into the duck, especially in the breasts and thighs. That will help to break down the fat.
Put the apple inside the duck cavity.
Put the duck in the oven with some olive oil and pork or duck fat. Cook for about an hour, turning it half-way, or until brown on all sides.

Remove from oven and let it rest for about 24 hours.

To make the stock, put the neck of the duck in a medium saucepan, add the vegetables, cut into large pieces, salt, vegetable stock paste and three litres of water and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.

  

The following day

Cut the duck into small pieces and season with salt and pepper. Reserve in a large bowl.
Remove the duck fat from the baking dish and the cooked apple and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 180C.
In the meantime, put the onions and garlic in a small work processor and chop finely. If you have a terracotta dish, put some of the duck fat in it, if not, use a non-stick frying pan. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is slightly brown. Add the reserved apple, cored and chopped finely in a work processor and cook for about 2 minutes.

           

Add the tomato and cook until jam consistency.

            

Add the duck to the pan, pour in the brandy and light it up. Add the bouquet garni and the cinnamon stick, some of the strained stock and bring to the boil. (If you are doing the sauce in a frying pan, add the brandy to the sauce before pouring the sauce on the baking dish where you have the duck). Add more stock to cover the duck halfway the dish and put in the preheated oven. 

            

Cook for about 30 - 40 minutes and check to see if the duck is soft and starting to fall off the bones. Do not overcook it!

While the duck is cooking, make the picada and prepare the pears.
For the picada.
Add a bit of salt to a mortar and then mash the garlic. Add the fried parsley and mash again.

             

Add the almonds and the hazelnuts and mash until a fine paste.

             

Add the fried bread or the digestive biscuit and mash again.

  

Add the flour and the grated chocolate. Mix well and add a ladle of the leftover stock. Reserve.

   

For the pears.
Peel the pears and cut in half. Remove the core and rub with the lemon (cut in half) to stop them from browning. (If the pears are not quite ripe, omit the lemon and coat them with flour. Fry them in a little olive oil until lightly brown and add a splash of brandy.)

When the duck is almost ready, pour the picada over the duck and mix carefully. Add the pears and let it cook until the sauce has thickened, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes and serve.

Serves 6

Here served with Risotto Milanese.