ANEC AMB PERES - DUCK WITH PEARS

This is a recipe that is very traditional in Catalonia. 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 91 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

olive oil

pork or duck fat

1 apple

6 Beurre Bosc or similar pears

1 lemon

Stock

the neck from the duck

2 Tbsp vegetable stock paste 

2 L of water

(if you don't have vegetable stock paste, you can add already made vegetable stock)

Sauce

1 medium onion

2 garlic cloves

200g tomato passata

Picada

2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly fried

4 roasted almonds

4 roasted hazelnuts

3 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only, fried

1 small slice bread, fried with a bit of oil until crunchy

1 Tbsp olive oil

50ml brandy

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 if rest for about 24 hours.

The following day

Cut the duck into small pieces and season with salt and pepper. 

Remove the duck fat from the baking dish and the cooked apple and reserve. 

Put the duck back into the baking dish.

Put the neck of the duck in a medium saucepan, add the vegetable stock paste and two litres of water and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

In the meantime, put the onions and garlic in a small work processor and chop very finely. Put some of the duck fat in a non-stick frying pan. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is slightly brown.

          

Add the tomato and cook until jam consistency. 

           

Add some of the strained stock to the pan and the reserved apple, cored and chop into small pieces and bring to the boil.Pour the sauce on top of the duck and add more stock to cover the duck halfway the dish.

           

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 the fried bread and mash again. 

  

Add the brandy, 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.)

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