Duck Ragu

This recipe is inspired by one I read about in Italian Food Safari, but simplified. The original recipe involved making a duck stock from scratch which would form the liquid base for the ragu, but as I was cooking a three course dinner for 9 people and couldn't be bothered with the deboning of ducks and the stock simmering fandango, I substituted this stage with some mushroom stock and the result was very pleasing. 

I have said to use 1.8-2kg of duck meat and indicated that this would serve 8-10.  The reason for this lack of specificity is that it depends on the ratio of leg to breast meat; obviously, a weight in legs (what with the bones) yields less meat than breast.  My preference is for a majority of leg meat (say, a ratio of 3 parts leg to 1 part breast) because it is tastier, and in this instance, 1.8kg of meat would serve 8, 2kg would serve 10.

Ingredients
1.8- 2 kg duck meat (combination of leg and breast)
4 tins crushed tomatoes, or equivalent fresh tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
A handful of fresh basil and parsley, roughly chopped
A few springs of thyme and rosemary
1 litre mushroom stock (can substitute chicken or vegetable stock)- stock can be enhanced by simmering together with small quantities of celery, carrot, parsley, thyme, tarragon, rosemary and sage.
Olive oil

Method
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Brown the duck meat in batches and remove to a plate.

Slowly fry onion and garlic until soft then add tomatoes and herbs and cook for approximately half an hour, adding enough of the mushroom stock to keep the sauce loose.

Add duck meat back to sauce and simmer for a further hour or until the duck meat is beginning to fall off the bone. Remove any bones and return meat to the sauce. Throughout the cooking process, add mushroom stock to keep the sauce from reducing too much and sticking on the bottom.  Towards the end of cooking time allow the sauce to reduce to desired consistency.

Serve the ragu on pappardelle and top with grated pecorino.

Serves 8-10