Author Notes
Bolognese to me is one of the best things you can make out of fresh tomatoes. It´s that little bit of chicken liver that makes this sauce special, just enough to catalyze the other flavors without making it all taste like giblets. As of the duck, I like to use aiguilettes de canard, stripes of meat adjacent to the breast, as they are very easy to handle: Just chop finely with a sharp knife. Duck thighs work fine with this recipe, too, but it´s a little more work to get the meat off the bones first. —Sabine
Ingredients
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300 grams
duck meat (aiguilettes de canard or 1 duck thigh)
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300 grams
ground beef
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6-8
medium tomatoes
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2-3
finely chopped shallots
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2
finely chopped garlic cloves
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1
bay leaf
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1 handful
fresh thyme, rosemary and/or oregano
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100 milliliters
approx. of red wine (1 small glass)
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100 grams
chopped chicken liver
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a few tbsp olive oil
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1 teaspoon
butter + a pinch of flour to drench the liver
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fine salt/fleur de sel + freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
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Remove strunk from the tomatoes and incise skin crosswise. Place them in a large bowl and pour very hot water on them. Wait until the skin loosens (about 15 minutes), then peel tomatoes, drain well and set aside.
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Peel and chop shallots and garlic.
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Chop the duck meat with a large, very sharp knife. You should obtain very small bits, like a coarse "crumble".
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In a cast iron cocotte, heat a few tbsp of olive oil. Fry shallots until translucent, 1-2 minutes, add the two meats and continue frying at high heat until well browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue frying for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
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Add red wine and reduce until all liquid is gone, vigorously scraping the bottom of your cocotte. Add herbs and tomatoes, crushing them with a fork or spoon. Reduce heat to low, close lid and allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, chop chicken liver as finely as possible.
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Heat butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add liver, drench with about ½ tbsp flour and brown for 3-4 minutes.
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Add to the cocotte, stir and allow to simmer for at least a further 10 minutes.
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Remove herbs and bay leaf and serve with pasta and grated cheese
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