· recipe ·
Gnocchi with Slow-Braised Duck
Duck legs reward slow, moist cooking: their connective tissue softens and gives the braising liquid body. Skimming the rendered fat leaves a glossy sauce around the tender shreds.
Time and servings
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 125 min
- Total
- 160 min
- Servings
- 4
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- about 650
- Protein
- 48 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 65 g
Brown the duck legs
Start the duck before making the gnocchi. Pat the legs dry, season with black pepper, place them skin-side down in a cold Dutch oven, and cook over medium heat until the skin is deeply browned. Turn for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
Cook the soffritto
Pour off the rendered fat, leaving 2 tablespoons30 ml in the pot. Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery and cook them until soft; add the garlic for the final minute.
Build the braising liquid
Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by about half, scraping the browned layer from the pot. Return the duck legs and add the chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
Braise the duck
Cover and maintain the gentlest simmer for about 90 minutes, until the meat pulls from the bones easily. Keep the skin above the liquid where possible. Once the simmer is steady, prepare and shape the gnocchi while the duck braises.
Choose boiling or baking
Choose boiling or baking. Boiled potatoes make a softer, moister dough; baked potatoes make a drier dough that usually needs less flour. To boil, put the whole unpeeled potatoes in cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, until a thin knife slides easily into the center; then drain. To bake instead, pierce them and bake at 425°F220°C for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender.
Mash the potatoes
Peel the potatoes while they are warm. Pass them through a potato ricer, or mash them with a potato masher until no lumps remain. Spread the potato out briefly to let the steam escape.
Mix the dough
Mix the warm potato with the egg yolk, 1/2 tsp3 g of the salt, and 1 cup120 g of the flour. Fold gently until no dry flour remains. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add more of the listed flour a spoonful at a time. Stop when it is soft and slightly tacky; you may not need all the flour.
Roll and cut the dough
Divide the dough and roll each portion into a rope about 3/4 inch2 cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut the ropes into 3/4 inch2 cm pieces.
Carpentry Dynasty gnocchi boards15% off with code WOFG15Shop on Amazon →Add the ridges
Roll each piece over a gnocchi board to create beautiful, well-defined ridges that help the sauce cling. A fork can make simple grooves.
Shred and reduce
Lift out the duck legs and cool them briefly. Discard the skin and bones, shred the meat, and skim excess fat from the pot. Remove the herbs, reduce the liquid until glossy, then return the meat.
Heat the cooking water
Use 3 quarts3 liters of water. Once the meat is shredded, bring the cooking water to a gentle boil while the braising liquid finishes reducing. Add 1 1/2 tsp9 g of the salt to the water.
Poach the gnocchi
Once the duck ragù is ready, lower the gnocchi into the gently boiling water and stir once. Lift them as they float and transfer them directly to the hot ragù.
Finish the ragù
Fold gently over low heat for 1 minute. Add up to 1/2 tspup to 3 g of the salt only if needed, then serve with finely grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
