Rice with Duck, Sausage, and Chickpeas

(Arroz con Pato)

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4-4.5 lb. duck, trussed, with neck if available
• 4 c. chicken broth
• several strands of saffron
• 1/4 lb. fresh sweet sausage, such as Italian
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1 small onion, slivered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 lb. tomatoes, skinned, seeded, chopped
• 2 tbs. minced parsley
• 2 c. arborio (short grain) rice
• 1/2 lb. freshly cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 1/2 c. peas, fresh or frozen
• 2 tbs. pine nuts
• salt
• 1 pimiento, cut in strips

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 350F. Roast duck for 1.5 hours, pouring off fat occasionally. [I have a gadget which duck sits on vertically, which drains fat very well. I buy frozen ducks with pop-out thermometers.] Cut duck into serving pieces. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
2. In large saucepan, combine deglazed pan juices with rest of broth and saffron, and slowly simmer on back burner.
3. In shallow greased caserole, saute the sausage until cooked. Cut in 3/4-inch slices and reserve.
4. Wipe out pan. Heat oil, and saute onion, garlic, and red peppers until onion is translucent and peppers softened. Stir in paprika. Add tomatoes and parsley and cook a minute or two.
5. Mix in rice, coating well. Add simmering broth. Add sausage slices, chickpeas, peas, and pine nuts, and boil until rice is no longer soupy, but enough liquid remains to continue cooking rice. Taste for salt.
6. Garnish with pimiento strips, and arrange duck pieces over the rice. Transfer to 375F oven for 15-18 minutes, or until rice is almost done and most of the liquid absorbed.
7. Cover loosely with foil and let sit on top of stove 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Keywords: Spanish, Rice, Paella, Duck.