Ingredients

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 duck legs (frozen or thawed)

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 rib celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry marsala

1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juice

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

  1. Combine the salt, brown sugar, pepper, cloves and cayenne. Trim the duck legs of excess fat. Rub duck legs well with the spice mixture, place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight. Note: if you’re using frozen legs, go ahead and rub them, then trim the fat after they’ve spent the night in the fridge.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Place the duck legs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove the duck legs to a plate.
  3. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat. Add the celery, onion, carrot and garlic. Sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the marsala, tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Return the duck legs to the pan, cover, and place in the oven. Bake 90 minutes or until the duck is very tender.
  5. Remove the duck to a plate and cool. Strip the duck meat from the bones and shred by hand or chop with a sharp knife. You may include the skin at your option (I usually toss it). Return the duck meat to the pan, return to a simmer, and serve over a chunky pasta such as penne or farfalle.