Reheating time: 10-15 minutes- boil water!

Second time’s the charm! First time was definitely a charmer, too. You know what they say- you can’t go wrong with duck legs and ravioli. I honestly don’t know if that’s actually something they say, but they should. If they tried tonight’s dinner, they definitely would say it. Duck legs are really cool. They have the perfect texture and flavor for slow cooking in fat, and when plated up on top of a pile of creamy wild mushroom ravioli, that’s a one way ticket to happiness. Another really cool thing about tonight’s dinner is the return of Applefield Farms mixed greens! I’ve been waiting all year for this, and to be quite honest, I think I’m more excited about the greens and rhubarb hibiscus vinaigrette than anything else. Although, I’m not gonna lie, I dreamt of the gremolata last night… That stuff is no joke. Pairs perfectly with the duck and ravioli. Hazelnuts for the win. Get in there!

For the duck:

Low and slow in the oven, with a final broil to crisp the skin. That’s the idea. Alternatively, you could just microwave the duck legs till hot, and then go right to the broiler. But that might dry them out. On a sheet tray lined with aluminum, arrange the duck legs skin side up, and pop them in the oven at 350. Bake for 5-8 minutes, till the skin is glistening and it’s starting to smell like duck! Once it’s hot through, transfer the tray to the broiler, and broil on low for 2-3 minutes, till the skin renders and crisps up nicely. Set them aside while you prep the pasta!

For the ravioli:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, drop your ravis in, and give them a stir. Let them boil for 2ish minutes, till they swell up and they are all floating happily at the surface. While they cook, warm the parmesan cream in a large saucepan (or, you can just warm it in the pasta water pot once you drain the raviolis if you don’t want to dirty another dish). Strain the ravis, reserving a splash or two of the pasta water (to add back into the sauce, helps the sauce cling to the pasta). Add the ravis to the parmesan garlic cream, stir well to coat, and thin the sauce out as necessary with the reserved pasta water. If the sauce is too thin, cook it down for a minute or two over medium heat. If it’s too thick, add a bit more pasta water! Once you’re happy with your sauce, kill the heat, and keep stirring every now and then until you’re ready with everything else. The sauce will thicken up as it cools and the pasta absorbs all the moisture, so keep that in mind when you’re deciding on your final consistency. I like a bit thinner for my sauces, because in my opinion, they can get gluey- which I don’t like! A scoche of olive oil or a small whack of butter right before you plate will help prevent the glue factor from becoming an issue halfway through your dinner.

For the salad:

You know the drill. Toss the salad into a mixing bowl with the rhubarb hibiscus vinaigrette, give a season with s+p, and mix mix mix! 

To plate everything up:

Scoop your ravis onto a shallow bowl, top with the gremolata, and place the duck leg right on top. Enjoy the salad on the side! That’s it! 

Dinner is served, and solved. #weareweco