For the stock:
4 duck legs
1 onion, peeled + quartered
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
Greens from 1 fennel bulb
1 bay leaf
½ tsp black peppercorns
For the rice:
450g Carolino rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
75g chorizo, finely diced
125ml dry white wine
800ml duck stock (see above)
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the duck:
½ fennel bulb, finely diced
50ml dry white wine
½ tsp fennel seeds
Also needed:
100g chorizo, thinly sliced
Fresh parsley, chopped
Orange slices, for serving
Serves 8
Prepare the duck and stock (this can be done a day ahead):
Season the duck legs with salt and pepper and fry in a large frying pan, skin-side down until the fat is released and the legs are nicely browned (approximately 5 minutes). Turn over on the meat side and sear briefly for 2 minutes until browned.
Put the duck legs in a large saucepan, pour the duck fat into a little bowl and set aside.
Add the onion, carrot, fennel greens, bay leaf and black peppercorns to the duck legs in the saucepan and cover with water. Season with salt, cover and bring to the boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the duck legs for 2 hours until the meat is soft and comes easily off the bone.
Take the meat out of the stock and reserve the stock for the rice. Leave the meat to cool for 15 minutes before removing the skin and pulling off the meat. Discard the skin and bones.
For the rice: Pour a tablespoon of the reserved duck fat into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Fry the onion over a medium heat with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and diced chorizo and fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the rice and toast for a minute, then add the white wine and briefly cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add 800ml of the reserved duck stock (taste if it’s salty enough). Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and simmer for 18 minutes until most of the stock has been absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the duck. Heat another tablespoon of reserved duck fat (or olive oil) in a saucepan and fry the diced fennel and fennel seeds with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes until soft. Add the white wine and cooked until absorbed. Add the shredded duck meat and 200ml reserved duck stock and heat through, so the duck is soft and moist.
Once the rice and duck are ready, assemble the dish.
Put half the rice at the bottom of a large oven dish. Cover with the duck and a second layer of rice. Bake immediately or set aside to bake from the fridge.
If baking immediately: preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Bake the dish for 8 minutes, then take out of the oven and distribute the chorizo over the top. Put back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the chorizo and the rice are crispy.
If baking from the fridge: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, raise the oven temperature to 200°C fan. Bake the dish for 8 minutes, then take out of the oven and distribute the chorizo over the top. Put back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the chorizo and the rice are crispy.
Sprinkle with parsley before serving and serve with orange wedges.
This goes well with a fennel, orange and ruccola salad with pickled red onions.
