Pappardelle With Smoked Duck And Wild Mushrooms

 

serves 4-6
 
 
 

This stunning dish will impress anyone. It’s always a big hit. Smoked turkey would work too. I first made this recipe with fresh porcini I got at the Berkeley Bowl. The King Oysters are similar. Shiitake can be substituted. 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Madeira
  • 1/4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 cups fresh King Oyster Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. plus a pinch coarse salt
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 – 2 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 smoked duck breast (about 10-12 oz), (or turkey, goose, chicken breast)
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup homemade chicken stock or reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 lb. pappardelle
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Chopped flat-leafed parsley

Directions

Pour the wine in a bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 10 seconds. Put the porcini mushrooms in the warm wine to re-hydrate for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the wine, and coarsely chop the mushrooms. Set aside in a large bowl.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and transfer to the bowl with porcini mushrooms. Set aside.

Meanwhile bring 5 quarts of water a boil in a large pot with the remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Drop in the pasta, stir and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining tablespoon butter. Cover and keep warm.

In the same pan that the mushrooms were cooked in, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-heat. Ad the shallot, garlic, carrot, and celery and sauté until they start to soften and are lightly brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the duck, rosemary, and reserved Madeira. Cook until the Madeira is almost completely evaporated. Add all the mushrooms and the chicken stock and cook until the stock is reduced by half.

Toss the pasta with the duck-mushroom mixture and the freshly grated cheese. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.