Civet de Canard au Vin de Bergerac

Helene Boulet has generously agreed to share one of her recipes for duck casserole. I’ve changed the recipe from grams to standard U.S. conversions. However, the meas´urements are not exact, and according to many home cooks in France, country French cooking is far from an exact science. With this in mind, I recommend tasting your sauce as you go, and adjusting it along with your cooking time to reflect your personal taste.

Casserole of Duck with Bergerac Red Wine (Civet de Canard au Vin de Bergerac)
Makes 6 servings

8 ounces bacon, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups white mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup diced onion
1 whole duck¤* (about 4 pounds)
1 tablespoon duck fat** or butter
1 small glass (about 1/4 cup) of Armagnac liqueur (you can substitute cognac or brandy)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 750 ml bottle dry red wine (preferably from the Bergerac region of France)
2 cups water
3 juniper berries, crushed
1 bouquet garni*** Salt AND pepper, to taste
Cooked tagliatelle or fettuccini pasta, for serving

In a medium-sized saucepan, cook the bacon in butter until crispy. Then add the mushrooms and small onions and cook until soft. Set aside.

Cut the duck into 6 pieces. In a large, heavy pan, brown the duck pieces in the duck fat. When well-browned all over, add Armagnac and let reduce by half. Then add flour, wine, water, juniper berries and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer on low for about two hours or until the duck is tender and the sauce has thickened. Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking, add the reserved bacon, mushrooms and onions.

Serve over pasta with a side of fresh baguette.

*Whole duck can be found at most grocery stores and you can have your butcher cut it up.

**Duck fat can be found at many specialty grocery stores or ordered online at dartagnan.com.

***Bouquet garni is a bundle of fresh herbs tied with string or wrapped in cheesecloth consisting of rosemary, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, although the herbs can vary.