THE WORLD’S GONE PEAR-SHAPED; BUT I’M JUST DUCKY

At least so far, all is well with me. I’m staying home from the gym (closed for two weeks), missing the market and morning coffee at my favorite café. I realize I’m in the vulnerable cohort of “the elderly,” so I’m taking a little extra care. How about you?

Please excuse the corny slang at the top. I was just trying to come up with a title for today’s blog, featuring a recipe with duck and pears. Finding confit duck on sale and admiring my neighbor’s pear tree in full bloom inspired the choice of recipes.

Duck with fruit is classic. In Catalonia, the fruit is pears.

Pear tree in bloom in my neighbor's garden.

Ànec amb Peres—duck with pears in the Catalan language—is a traditional dish in the Catalan region, where pears are grown and ducks are raised. It’s a simple braised dish with the addition of vi ranci (vino rancido), an oxidized wine typical of the region, and pears that add a touch of sweetness to the sauce.

I used confit duck legs, which are salted and “cured,” somewhat like ham, then cooked. They’re sold shrink-wrapped with some of their fat, which can be used to make the sauce. Because the confit duck is already cooked, it does not need to cook more than 15 minutes in the sauce.

If using fresh duckling, cut it in quarters. Use the necks and wing tips for stock. Roast the duck in a medium-hot oven (375ºF) for 30 minutes. Save the fat which is rendered to use in making the sauce. Cook the quartered duck in the sauce for 45-60 minutes or until tender.

I found it curious that traditional recipes for duck with pears call for the pieces of duck to be browned in lard—pork fat. You’d think that fatty duck would hardly need extra fat. Perhaps it once was to disguise the sometimes “fishy” taste of wild duck. With farm-raised duckling, use a little olive oil if you don’t have enough duck fat.

If you can’t find vino rancido (yes, the word means “rancid,” but not in a pejorative way), substitute dry Sherry.

The sauce is thickened with a version of the Catalan picada sauce, this one with almonds and galletas Marías. The Marías are a plain, not-too-sweet cookie. If not available, graham crackers are a suitable substitute or just use fried bread.

Cook pears until tender, but not so they fall apart. 

Sweet pear and succulent duck go well together.

Duck with Pears, Catalan Style
Ànec amb Peres (Pato con Peras)

Confit duck leg will cook with carrots, onions, wine, pears, turnips and, to finish, a picada of ground almonds and galleta María (lower left). 

Shrink-wrapped confit duck leg.

Serves 4.

4 firm pears, peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Strip of lemon zest
4 confit (cooked) duck legs, about 12 ounces each)
4 tablespoons duck fat, olive oil or lard
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup diced carrot
½ cup diced turnip
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup grated tomato pulp
¼ cup dry Sherry
3 cups duck or chicken broth
Sprig of thyme
Sprig of celery leaves
Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the picada:
¼ cup toasted almonds
1 clove garlic
2 galletas María (plain cookies)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Place the pears in a pan with water to cover, the lemon juice and strip of zest. Bring to a boil and cook them until tender when pierced with a skewer, 5-10 minutes, depending on how firm they are. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, Cut the pears into quarters and remove cores. Reserve them.

Scrape any fat from the duck legs and save it. Save any juices or gelatin clinging to the meat. 

Heat 4 tablespoons of duck fat, oil or lard in a heavy skillet. Brown the duck legs, skin-side down, and remove them. Add the onion, carrot, turnip and garlic to the fat. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onion begins to caramelize, 10 minutes. If necessary, add a few spoonfuls of water and keep cooking until vegetables are fairly browned. Add the tomato pulp and cook until liquid cooks away. Add the Sherry and cook until alcohol is cooked off. Add any reserved meat juices or gelatin.

Add 2 ½ cups of the broth. Add the thyme, celery, salt and pepper. (Confit duck is already somewhat salty.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes.

Puree then sieve the sauce.

Remove some of diced carrots and turnips to use as garnish. Discard thyme and celery. Scrape remaining sauce into a blender and process until smooth. Press the sauce through a sieve and return it to the pan. Add the duck legs. Cook gently 15 minutes.

For the picada: In a mortar or blender, crush the almonds, garlic, galletas and parsley to a paste, blending in the remaining ½ cup of broth. Stir this paste into the skillet. Cook 5 minutes. 

Add pears to the sauce, if desired, or keep them, without saucing, to serve alongside the duck.

Serve the duck legs, pears and sauce, garnished with reserved diced carrots and turnips.

More recipes with duck:

Soupy Rice with Duck and Mushrooms.

Grilled Duck Breast with Olive Sauce.

Duck Breast with Clementine Sauce.

Duck Breast with Spiced Hibiscus Sauce.

More about galletas Marías here.