- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 duck leg confit
- 2 oz guanciale, diced
- ¼ cup finely diced carrot
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup red wine
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- A couple of grinds of nutmeg
- ¼ cup crème fraiche
- Chives, snipped into short pieces
- Pecorino cheese, freshly grated
- 5 oz dried pasta
Bring one cup of water to a boil. Add mushrooms and let soak off heat for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms, rinse thoroughly, and dice. Set aside. Gently pour soaking liquid off the grit that will have collected on the bottom, while straining the water through a very fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
Remove the skin from the duck legs and discard. Remove the meat from the legs and discard the bones. Shred the meat and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add guanciale to skillet and sauté until browned and crispy, which will take 6-9 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove guanciale to a paper towel0lined plate to drain. Leave fat behind in skillet.
Add carrots to skillet and sauté 2 minutes. Add shallots to skillet and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minutes. Do not let burn! Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and duck to skillet. Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes, until warmed.
Deglaze the skillet with the red wine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Allow the wine to reduce by half. Add 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. Add bouillon base and stir until dissolved. Add soy and Worcestershire sauces. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
The ragu does not need to braise long as the duck meat is already cooked. Ten to fifteen minutes should be plenty. Add a bit of water if the sauce gets too thick.
When ready, remove skillet from heat, add the crème fraiche, and stir to mix well.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. When it comes to the boil add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Do not rinse.
Plate the pasta. Top with sauce. Top with chives, black pepper, and cheese to taste.
I’ve used both pappardelle and bucatini with success. One of these days I want to try it with gnocchi.
We drank an Orin Swift Eight Years in the Desert (California) 2022, which was a great match. This wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah. It's a deep, dark, almost brooding purple-black. Yet, despite its youth, it offered a robust bouquet of raspberry, blueberry, plum, and Indian spices. On the palate, the tannins are already round and soft. Red and black berries, spice, cedar, vanilla. Bright acidity. Very food friendly. Highly recommended.
