Duck rice - a quick and easy recipe

Duck rice is a traditional Portuguese recipe. While always delicious, duck rice made the traditional way, however, takes too long to be able to fit in my busy schedule. So I've came up with a simpler, quicker version.

The original recipe calls for boiling an entire duck and then remove all the meat from the bones...yes, not going to happen at our house. Not only because I lack the time to do it but also because, let's be honest here, it kind of grosses me out. 

So I have replaced the entire duck for...duck breasts. No bones to discard and, at the end of the day, the quantity of meat you get out of it is practically the same. If you can't (or don't want to) get duck breasts, you can always use chicken breasts instead. It's obviously not the same, but I have done it on occasion and chicken rice is tasty too...

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings): 

• about one kilogram of duck breasts
• 1 medium to large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 meat chorizo (150 - 180 grams). Reserve 6 -9 slices and cut the rest into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt to taste (be careful with the salt as sometimes the chorizo is salty; test first before adding more salt)
• 250 grams of rice 
• 1-2 bay leaves (optional)

How to: 

First, place the duck breasts in a pan with the bay leaves, cover with water and bring to a boil. If the duck breasts come with a bit of skin attached no problem to leave in on, it will be much easier to remove once they are cooked anyway. Once they are boiling, cover the pan, lower the heat and let them cook for 20-30 minutes or until they are soft and tender. 

Remove the duck breasts from the pan, discard the bay leaves but reserve the water you used to boil them. Let them cool for a few minutes, remove the skin (if any) and cut into small pieces.

In another pan place the onion, the garlic and the olive oil. Cook until the onion has turned a nice golden color and then add the bits of chorizo and the duck, mixing everything together for a couple of minutes. 

Measure 500 ml of the water you originally used to boil the duck and add it to the onion and chorizo mixture (add extra water if the duck stock is not enough).

Once the mixture is boiling add the rice, season with salt (if necessary), lower the heat and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. 

Place the rice in an oven tray, decorate with the reserved slices of chorizo and place in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180º until the rice at the top has tuned slightly golden. 

Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly and serve. 

This is also a great dish to make overnight if you're having a dinner party and you're pressed for time. You can have the rice cooked and in the tray on the day before, refrigerate overnight and then just pop it into the oven just before your guests arrive. 

 

Enjoy, and happy Thursday!

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