Pappardelle with Duck Ragu

This months edition of SBS Feast, the foodie magazine by SBS, came with a cute little recipe book complete with some amazing looking dishes from the television show Food Safari.

This recipe, by Fred Pizzini, for Duck Ragu was first on my list to try.

It is a time consuming recipe but well worth it. And really its not that difficult.

It all begins with this simple duck stock, simmer away the duck bones, onion, celery, carrot, star anise and fresh herbs for about an hour.

The fragrance of this stock is incredible.

The tomatoes are prepared by dicing (you are supposed to peel and seed as well but i guess i'm too lazy, and i don't like all the waste - although our worms wouldn't have been complaining!) then tossing in lemon juice and sugar allowing the juices to drain.

The base of the ragu is onion and garlic which are softened until beginning to caramelise.

Add the tomatoes and herbs.

You then add a little stock and tomato juice, season and simmer for about two hours. 

Keep topping up with more stock and juice as required.

The meat from the duck is cut to bite sized pieces and is browned before adding to the ragu for the last half an hour.

The pasta is prepared and cut into two centimetre wide strips. 

I allowed the strips to dry out for about fifteen minutes before cooking for three minutes in a big pot of boiling salted water.

The pasta was then tossed through the rich, thick and moist ragu.

It was sensational, well worth the effort. 

There was a richness and intensity in the sauce, the duck was tender, moist and flavoursome, and the papperdelle, well it was amazing. So silky, soft and tasty. 

My sister-in-law said it was the best pasta she has ever eaten.