Arroz con Pato a la Chiclayana

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• 400 g long-grain rice
• 80 g coriander, leaves and stalks
• 500 ml chicha de jora or dark beer
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp ají amarillo paste
• 1 tbsp ají panca paste
• 100 g loche squash, grated, or butternut squash
• 100 g peas
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• juice of 2 limes
• salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Pat the duck legs dry and season them all over with salt, pepper and the cumin.
• Dice one red onion finely and mince the garlic.
• Grate the loche or butternut squash on the coarse side of a box grater.
• Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain it well.
• Slice the second red onion very finely for the salsa criolla.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Lay the duck legs in skin side down and brown them for 8 minutes without moving them.
3. Turn the legs and brown the second side for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a plate.
4. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat and keep the pot on the heat.
5. Fry the diced onion and garlic in that fat for 6 minutes until soft and translucent.
6. Stir in both chilli pastes and the grated squash and cook for 4 minutes until fragrant.
7. Blend the coriander with 150 ml of the stock to a thick green purée.
8. Pour the coriander purée into the pot and cook it for 2 minutes.
9. Return the duck legs, pour over the chicha de jora and the rest of the stock, and bring to the boil.
10. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 45 minutes, until the duck is close to falling from the bone.
11. Lift the duck onto a plate and cover it loosely with foil.
12. Measure the liquid left in the pot and top it up with stock or water to make 800 ml.
13. Stir the drained rice, peas and red pepper strips into the liquid and season with salt.
14. Cover the pot and cook over the lowest heat for 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
15. Rinse the sliced red onion under cold water, then toss it with the lime juice and a pinch of salt.
16. Fork the rice through to loosen it and sit the duck legs back on top.
17. Serve straight from the pot with the salsa criolla piled on the side.