Wild Duck Pasta ala Jamie Oliver

This dish is one of my absolute favorites and perfect for the holidays.  The wine, garlic, duck and cinnamon make your house smell like Christmas morning.  It's time and love intensive, but well worth the effort.  

Now, I'm a hunter and have been duck hunting ever since I was a kid.  The problem with duck hunting is that when you're done hunting, you have a ton of ducks and most people don't know what to do with them -- myself included!  Wild duck is much different than raised or farmed duck that you get in a restaurant or store. They're smaller, not nearly as fatty, and have a much gamier flavor. Also, because they're migratory birds, the meat is much tougher than ducks that grew up on a farm. For years, I have gone to "duck dinners", large dinner parties where the hosts cook up a massive batch of ducks for a huge group of people, in hopes of getting rid of all of their duck meat for the year. With enough wine flowing, you usually manage to put a good dent in your haul, but it's tough to muscle 2 whole ducks down, that aren't cooked with care.

So, this recipe from my man Jamie has been a lifesaver.  It's in "Cook with Jamie", which is my favorite alltime cookbook.  In his book, it's called Gorgeous Slow Cooked Duck Pasta.  Now, I can't get my hands on enough ducks, and get requests to make this dish all the time.

What you need: 
2 Wild Ducks or 1 Raised Duck
6 Rosemary stalks, leaves taken off and chopped
6 Slices of Pancetta, chopped
1 Red Onion, diced
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, sliced
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Oranges

1 28oz can of whole, peeled, plum tomatoes

1/2 bottle fruity red wine, like a zin

Handful of golden raisins

Handful of pine nuts

Red wine vinegar

1 lb pasta, rigatoni, fettuccine or pappardelle are my faves for this.

First - roast your ducks.  Pre-heat your oven to 350F, salt and pepper your ducks, inside and out, then rub olive oil all over the outside.  Quarter one of the oranges, squeeze the juice into the cavity, then stuff 2 of the orange slices into each duck.  Roast, breast-side down in a roasting pan, for two hours, turning every 30 minutes. 

Now, I don't roast my ducks in the oven...  Funny story, when my dad was ill, he started watching TV, which he never did before, and become fond of the Home Shopping Network.  One day, a package arrived at my door -- it was the RONCO "Showtime" Rotisserie.  My dad watched the infomercial for an hour or so, and was so excited about it that he had to buy it for me...he was medicated at the time, I'm sure.  But, I gotta say, this thing really works!  I've made incredible roast chicken and pork on it, and for duck it is outstanding.  Easy to clean, too.  Thanks, dad.  So, roast or Ronco your ducks, and while that's going on, chop all your veggies. 

Get a large pot going on med heat, add a little olive oil and your pancetta.  Cook until golden.  Then, add your diced red onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery, rosemary, cinnamon stick, and garlic. Cook slowly until it all softens up, then add the 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes (drained).  Let that cook for a few minutes, then add your wine. Let simmer for about an hour.

When your ducks are roasted, take it out and let it cool, then strip all of the meat off the ducks.  Shred the duck meat and add it to the sauce.  Using 2 forks to pull apart the sliced duck meat works well.  But really spend some time shredding it up -- this will make your duck tender and gorgeous.  Then add that into the pot, cover, and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, I recommend an hour an a half.  Check the consistency.  If too dry, add some more wine or a bit of water.  If too thin, take the top off and let it cook down.

When you're ready to eat, boil your pasta and when it's ready, toss it into the pot, and stir.  Than grate in the zest of 1 orange, and add in a good handful of your raisins, pine nuts and Parmesan.  Mix it in, plate, add a little parsley, and Happy Hunting.