Arroz de Pato — Duck Legs Rice with Chouriço & Carrots

Ingredients

• 3 Duck Legs
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 Carrots, halved
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 oz chouriço, sliced thin
• 3 oz smoked bacon, diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 orange, zested
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt

Method

1. Cover the Duck Legs with water in a pot with the onion, Carrots, garlic, bay, peppercorns, and 2 tsp salt. Simmer gently 75 minutes, until the meat falls off the bone.
2. Lift the duck out, cool slightly, and shred the meat, discarding skin and bones. Strain the broth and skim the fat off the top — keep 2 tbsp of that fat, it is liquid gold.
3. Render the bacon in the duck fat and olive oil in a wide ovenproof pan, then add the rice and stir 2 minutes until every grain is coated and glossy.
4. Pour in 4 cups of the hot strained broth, add the orange zest, and simmer uncovered 12 minutes, until the rice is nearly done and the surface is level with the liquid.
5. Fold in the shredded duck, level the top, and lay the chouriço slices over in overlapping rings.
6. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 18–20 minutes, until the top is dry, the chouriço is curled and crisp, and the rice at the edges has caught. Rest 5 minutes before serving with orange slices.