Mallard in Sauce
Germano Reale in Sugo
Mallard duck cut into pieces, browned with pancetta, herbs, vegetables and prosecco until you obtain an intense and fragrant sauce.
Mallard duck in sauce is a traditional preparation with character, suitable for an important lunch or dinner where you can bring to the table a meat with a strong flavour. The slow cooking enhances its consistency, while the sauce enriched by the pancetta The butter supports the meat with a savory, rounded note. Onion, garlic, sage, and rosemary create a distinct aromatic profile; celery, carrot, and tomato contribute to the balance of the sauce, which the Prosecco makes more fragrant and lively. The result should be a thick, well-bonded sauce, fluid enough to accompany any piece of meat. This recipe is a traditional Italian dish. Variations are also available with salami or soppressa, anchovies, or with Rennet apples or quince in place of the vegetables and tomatoes.
Instructions
ShareVoice reading
7 steps · natural Italian voice
Prepare the fat base
Finely chop the pancetta fresh, or the lardo, and transfer it to a saucepan together with the butter. Let it melt over medium heat until the fat becomes liquid and the lean meat is lightly browned, but not burned. The bottom should be fragrant and even, ready to absorb the flavors.
Gently sauté onion and garlic
Combine the chopped onion and the two cloves of garlic in hot fat. Gently sauté Cook slowly, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic releases its aroma without darkening. Keep the heat low to prevent the sauce from becoming bitter.
Brown the mallard
Cut the mallard duck into pieces and add it to the saucepan. Brown it over medium heat, turning the pieces several times, until the surface appears evenly colored. This stage should develop a brown and fragrant base, without cooking the meat through.
Add herbs and vegetables
Combine the sage leaves, the sprig of rosemary, celery, and carrot. Add the tomato, then stir to distribute the ingredients around the meat. Continue until the vegetables begin to soften and the tomato blends in with the pan juices.
Deglaze with prosecco
Pour the prosecco into the saucepan and let the alcoholic part evaporate over high heat for a few minutes. Stir the bottom of the pan to collect any juices clinging to the pan; when the wine's pungent aroma diminishes and the liquid remains more harmonious, reduce the heat again.
Adjust and cook slowly
Season with salt and pepper, then cook the mallard over low heatAdd broth only when the pan starts to dry out, maintaining just enough to support the cooking without diluting the sauce. Continue stirring until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is thick and well-combined.
Evaluate the variant
To add character to the cooking broth, add chopped soppressa or salami and a few deboned anchovies. Alternatively, replace the celery, carrot, and tomato with slices of Rennet apple or quince. Choose a single variant and incorporate it during cooking, making sure the sauce remains smooth and uniform.
Chef's Tips
Brown the mallard over medium heat before adding the liquids, so that the meat takes on color and the sauce develops a more intense base.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 mallard (2.2 lb) approx. 1 kg
- (3.53 oz) 100 g of pancetta fresh (or of lardo (cured pork fatback))
- (1.06 oz) 30 g butter
- 1 chopped onion, 5 sage leaves
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 cloves of garlic
- (1.06 oz) 30 g celery,
- (1.76 oz) 50 g carrot
- (3.53 oz) 100 g tomato,
- (3.53 oz) 100 g Prosecco wine broth
- salt and pepper
Can't find it in the US?
- pancettaMost US supermarkets
Unsmoked bacon or salt pork, blanched 1 minute in boiling water
Salt pork is saltier: taste before adding salt.
- lardo (cured pork fatback)Italian delis or online
The fattiest part of pancetta, finely chopped
Or: Salt pork, rinsed and finely chopped
Lardo is a cured meat, not lard (rendered fat). Salt pork is saltier: reduce the salt.
⚠️ Automatic ingredient-based detection. Always check product labels.
Translate