Duck in Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg pre-cooked duck (1 whole duck)
• Salt
• ground pepper
• 300 g small onions
• 12 whole cloves
• 3 tbsp clarified butter
• 1 bunch mirepoix (mixed vegetables)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 bunch small parsley
• 250 ml red wine
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 30 g butter lumps

Instructions

1. 1.

   Separate the breasts and legs from the duck, removing the meat from the bones. Cut the boneless meat into 2-3 cm cubes; break the bones into small, evenly sized pieces with a kitchen cleaver.

2. 2.

   Wash, trim, and chop the mirepoix; place it in a bowl with bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme, then add the duck meat and pour in red wine. Let sit overnight to marinate.

3. 3.

   Remove the duck and pat dry, setting aside. Strain the brine through a sieve, reserving the liquid. In a pressure cooker, brown the chopped bones in 1 tbsp clarified butter while stirring; add the strained mirepoix with spices and cook briskly, then pour in the reserved wine and 1 L water. Seal and simmer for about 45 minutes on medium (or 1½ hours without a pressure cooker). Strain the stock through a fine sieve, skim fat, and reduce to roughly 400 mL.

4. 4.

   Wash and chop tomatoes. Peel onions; thread two onions with cloves onto skewers, finely dice the remaining onions. Brown the diced onions in leftover clarified butter until golden; add the duck meat and brown well. Stir in tomato paste and cook briefly, then add tomatoes, pour in stock, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the skewer‑onions and continue cooking another 20 minutes. Remove the duck pieces and onion skewers, keeping warm. Strain the sauce through a sieve and reduce to ¼ L, seasoning with salt and pepper; whisk in butter lumps. Return the duck to the sauce and let it soak for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with thyme.

5. 5.

   Serve the dish hot, garnished with fresh thyme sprigs.