Hearty Duck And Wild Rice Soup
- 1 5-pound duck, preferably fresh
- Salt to taste, if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 onion, about 1/2 pound, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot, trimmed, scraped and coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 10 cups rich chicken broth (see note)
- 1 cup mushrooms, preferably shiitake or other wild domestic mushrooms
- 2 cups cooked wild rice (see recipe)
- 1 cup finely minced raw leeks
- 1 cup finely diced raw carrots
- Cut the duck into serving pieces.
- Crack the backbone in half lengthwise.
- Cut away and discard any peripheral fat from the duck pieces.
- Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy kettle and add the duck pieces skin side down.
- Add as many pieces in one layer as the kettle will hold.
- Cook these pieces until they are nicely browned, about four or five minutes.
- Continue until all the pieces are browned.
- As the pieces are cooked, strain off and discard the fat.
- Return all the pieces to the kettle and add the onion, coarsely chopped carrot and garlic and cook three minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth and bring to the boil.
- Simmer about one hour or until the liquid is reduced to about six cups.
- Skim off any scum and fat from the top as it accumulates.
- Remove and reserve the meaty duck pieces, such as legs, breast, thighs and so on.
- Discard the bony parts, such as the backbone.
- Strain the six cups of duck soup into a saucepan and bring to the simmer.
- Remove the meat from the reserved duck pieces and cut it into small dice.
- There should be about two cups of meat.
- Cut the mushrooms into small squares.
- There should be about two cups.
- Put the mushrooms, diced meat, wild rice, leeks and carrots into a kettle and pour the hot soup over them.
- Let simmer about two minutes.
- Serve piping hot.
duck, salt, freshly ground pepper, onion, carrot, clove garlic, chicken broth, mushrooms, rice, leeks, carrots
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/50 (may not work)