An Easy Braised Wild Duck
By Andrew Zimmern
This recipe fits squarely into the framework of dishes in the Italian “brutti ma buoni” playbook, or ugly but delicious. Duck braised in red wine is something I love to make at duck camp, because it’s simple to execute and everyone loves it. Nothing fancy about it, but it’s so satisfying. All you need is great ingredients and live fire. While you could certainly make this with conventional duck, hunters know that really great wild duck is so much better than farm raised. The fat content is minimal, the breasts are larger and the legs smaller. And the flavor? Unbeatable.
Watch this episode of Field to Fire on Outdoor Channel and Tastemade.
Red Wine Braised Wild Duck with Sauteed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 3 shallots, halved
- 3 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 leek, halved and sliced
- Bouquet garni of thyme, bay leaves and tarragon
- 2 ducks, quartered
- 3 cups of a nice dry red wine. I prefer to cook with E. Guigal’s Cote de Rhone
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- Matchstick Potatoes, for serving
Instructions
Preheat a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the carrots, shallots, celery, leeks and the bouquet garni. Stir and allow the vegetables to sweat and cook for about 5 minutes.
Season and brown the duck pieces very well on both sides. I like to brown the duck on a grill grate directly over the heat, but you could also do it in a cast iron pan. Once the duck pieces are browned, add them to the pot with the vegetables. Pour in the wine. Bring it to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce down to a glaze, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat a large cast iron over high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spinach and stir or toss constantly for about 2 minutes, until just wilted.
Serve the duck with the sauce, garnished with the vegetables from the pot, sauteed spinach and fried matchstick potatoes.
