Provencal Duck Stew with Winter Fruits
This duck stew recipe is completely adaptable to any season of the year. However, as the prunes, walnuts, cinnamon and a touch of orange slow-cook with the duck meat your home will smell a little like Christmas. Provencal Duck Stew with Winter Fruits is a make-ahead main course for a meal with friends.
Provencal Duck Stew with Dried Fruits
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb duck 1.8-2.2 kg
- 1 carrot thinly sliced
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves mashed
- 10 black peppercorns
- 10 Juniper Berries
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Orange Peel and juice
- 1 bottle Pinot Noir
- 12 prunes
- 12 walnuts
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 quart (1100ml) chicken stock
- 1 apple peeled and diced
Instructions
- Cut your duck into eight pieces, like you would breakdown a whole chicken, and put in a large bowl with room for more ingredients.
- Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, black peppercorns, juniper berries, star anise, cinnamon orange and pinot noir. Let marinate for 10 to 12 hours sitting out in your kitchen.
- Strain the marinade, separating the vegetables and liquid.
- Simmer the prunes and walnuts in the liquid for 20 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a large saute pan and brown the duck on both sides. When browned, remove the duck and saute the vegetables leftover from the marinade.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, mixing well.
- Strain marinade into vegetables and add the browned duck pieces back to your pan.
- Keep the prunes and walnuts to add back to the sauce later.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for one hour.
- As you cook your duck you may need to add chicken stock to keep it moist and stew-like. I ended up using about one quart.
- At the end of the cooking time, remove the duck pieces and strain out and discard the vegetables.
- Return the duck meat, prunes and walnuts, and apple then simmer for ten minutes.
- Adjust seasonings and serve.
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