Braised Duck in a Chocolate Wine Sauce

Ingredients

8 Duck thighs and legs

flour to dredge duck

3 T butter

12 small onions peeled

2 carrots peeled and diced

2 T Pancetta finely diced

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

2 C dry red wine

3 whole cloves

4 sprigs of thyme

2 rosemary sprigs

salt and pepper

1 1/2 C chicken stock

1 oz 70% chocolate

2 T molasses

1/4 C dried cranberries

1/4 C minced parsely

Procedure

Trim excess fat off duck. Season the duck pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.

Heat half the butter in a large Dutch over over med. heat. Brown the duck pieces for about 3 minutes on each side. Drain excess fat. Remove duck to a plate and reserve.

Add remaining butter to same Dutch oven over med. high heat. Add pancetta and cook until golden about 2 minutes. Add shallots or cipollini and carrots and cook until shallots are lightly browned about 3-5 minutes. Add cinnamon, bay leaf, wine, cloves, thyme, rosemary, cranberries, and molasses. Bring to a boil. Add duck. Reduce to a low simmer and cook uncovered until wine is reduced by 1/2 about 20 minutes.

Add stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil again then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until duck meat is tender, turning the duck pieces halfway during the cooking time. Cook until duck is tender about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer duck to bowl. Heat sauce over low heat and whisk in grated chocolate until just melted. Be careful not to overheat or the chocolate will scorch. Add the duck back to the sauce and stir in the parsley.