Ingredients:
4 duck legs1 duck breast
1 large yellow onion
6 large cloves of garlic
6 sprigs of thyme (4" sprigs)
1 sprig of rosemary (3" young sprig)
12 small or 4 large sage leaves
1 lb. small brown mushrooms
2 oz. dry porcini mushrooms
1C hot water1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2C water if crushed tomatoes are thick
1 14 1/2 oz. can of green olives
extra virgin olive oil
Directions: Place the dried porcini in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Score the fat and brown the duck over medium heat to render the fat, then remove the duck and place on a plate. Remove the fat from the pan and saute the diced onion in the pan using a small amount of olive oil. Mince the garlic and thyme and add to the saute pan, mixing it with the onions, then after sauteing a few minutes, add the fresh mushrooms.
If the mushrooms are not very small, slice them in half or quarters. Saute the mushrooms and then add minced parsley, sage, and rosemary for more sauteing. When you can smell the fragrance of the herbs, it's time to add the crushed tomatoes. I used Italia brand and it was much thicker than I had expected, so I added about half a can or almost 2 cups of water to thin it down, since this is a braised dish that requires long cooking. After the sauce goes in, reintroduce the duck meat and make certain that is is covered by the sauce. Add the drained olives, either green or black will be fine, and add the porcini at this time. Reserve the water the procini have soaked in and strain it into the pot for extra porcini flavor. Cook over medium heat uncovered until the sauce thickens a bit, then partially cover and simmer until the duck flesh is tender.
A side of Dreamfield pasta would be nice with this and the extra sauce will work well on the pasta too. I would recommend using Romano or another pecorino cheese with this sauce and sprinkling a small amount of fresh minced thyme over both the pasta and the duck legs.
