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| What You Need: |
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Two 1½-pound oven-ready pintail ducks, with the necks, gizzards and hearts reserved
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
6 slices lean bacon
2 medium-sized onions, peeled and sliced crosswise into ¼-inchthick rounds
½ cup dry red wine
½ cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
4 medium-sized carrots, scraped and sliced crosswise into ¼-inchthick rounds
¼ teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
¼ teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Wash the ducks and giblets (the necks, gizzards and hearts) under cold running water and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Season the cavities of the birds with the salt and pepper and rub the flour into their skin. Truss the ducks neatly.
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2. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat, turning the slices frequently with tongs until they are crisp and brown and have rendered all their fat. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, crumble the slices into small bits, and set them aside.
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3. Add the duck necks, gizzards and hearts to the fat remaining in the pan and, turning them frequently, fry over moderate heat until they are richly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer the giblets to a heavy 6- to 7-quart casserole.
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4. Then brown the ducks in the bacon fat, turning them with tongs or a spoon and regulating the heat so that they color deeply and evenly without burning. Transfer the birds to the casserole and add the onions to the fat remaining in the skillet.
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5. Stirring occasionally, cook over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and brown. With a slotted spoon, add the onions to the ducks.
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6. Pour off the fat remaining in the skillet, add the wine and stock, and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan.
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7. Stir in the carrots, sage, lemon peel and thyme, and pour the entire contents of the skillet over the ducks. Scatter the reserved bacon bits on top.
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8. Bring the casserole to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer tightly covered for 1 hour, or until the birds are tender and a thigh shows no resistance when pierced with the point of a small sharp knife.
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9. Taste for seasoning and serve at once, directly from the casserole. Or, if you prefer, arrange the ducks side by side on a deep heated platter and ladle the carrots, onions and cooking liquid over them.
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To Serve: Braised Pintail Duck
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