Arroz de Pato

Ingredients

• 2 duck breast
• 300 g white rice
• 1 chourico, cut into thin coins
• 100 g bacon, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 9 dl chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 orange, cut into wedges

Method

1. 1.

   Render the duck skin — Score the duck skin in a diamond pattern down to the fat but not into the meat, season both sides with salt and pepper, and lay the breasts skin-down in a cold, dry frying pan. Set over medium-low heat and let the fat render for 10-12 minutes, until the skin is deep gold and crisp; turn for 2 minutes, then lift out. Keep every drop of rendered fat.

2. 2.

   Build the sofrito — Pour 1 tbsp of the duck fat into a wide pan with the olive oil and cook the bacon, onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat for 8 minutes, until softened and lightly coloured at the edges.

3. 3.

   Simmer the duck in stock — Pour in the stock, add the bay leaves and orange zest, return the duck breasts skin-side up and simmer gently, uncovered, for 25 minutes. The broth is where all the flavour of this dish comes from, so keep it at a lazy bubble rather than a boil.

4. 4.

   Shred the meat and strain — Lift out the duck. Peel off the skin and set it aside, then shred the meat with two forks. Strain the broth, skim off most of the fat and measure out 700 ml, topping up with hot water if you are short.

5. 5.

   Cook the rice in the broth — Wipe the pan, add another spoonful of duck fat and stir the rice over medium heat for a minute until the grains turn glossy. Pour in the 700 ml of hot broth, season, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 14-15 minutes, until the liquid is almost gone and the rice is a shade short of done.

6. 6.

   Layer with chouriço — Heat the oven to 200 °C. Fork the shredded duck through the rice, spread it in a shallow baking dish about 4 cm deep, and cover the surface with the chouriço coins and the reserved skin cut into thin strips.

7. 7.

   Bake to a crisp crust — Bake for 18-19 minutes, until the chouriço curls at the edges and its orange fat glazes a crisp, patchy crust across the top of the rice. Rest 5 minutes and serve with orange wedges to cut the richness.