Duck carnitas tacos

Name: Duck carnitas tacos
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 12 tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 duck legs; 2 small white onions, peeled and sliced; 1 head garlic, cut in half; 1 stick cinnamon, broken into pieces; 1 tsp ground cumin; sea salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 medium orange, quartered; 2 limes, quartered; tomatillo chipotle salsa; 400g tin tomatillos, rinsed; 3 cloves garlic; 4 chipotle chillies in adobo (including a little adobo liquid); juice of 2 limes; 1/4 cabbage, shredded; 1 white onion, finely chopped; 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped; 12 flour tortillas

March 3, 2014

Forget the sour cream overdose: Neil Perry's duck carnitas tacos.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Makes:12 tacos

For a different take on Mexican, try these duck tacos. You could use chicken instead of duck (but reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes). You can also use corn tortillas if you prefer.

Ingredients

6 duck legs
2 small white onions, peeled and sliced
1 head garlic, cut in half
1 stick cinnamon, broken into pieces
1 tsp ground cumin
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium orange, quartered
2 limes, quartered
tomatillo chipotle salsa
400g tin tomatillos, rinsed
3 cloves garlic
4 chipotle chillies in adobo (including a little adobo liquid)
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cabbage, shredded
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
12 flour tortillas

Method

Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Place the duck legs, onions, garlic, cinnamon and cumin in a casserole dish with a lid, and season to taste with salt. Squeeze the orange quarters over the duck, add the orange skins, mix well, place on the lid and cook in oven for about 2 hours, until the meat comes easily off the bone.
Remove the duck from liquid and fat in the casserole, let it cool a little and pull the meat off the bone in large chunks.
Strain the duck fat through a sieve. Heat 2 tbsp in a large frypan over medium-high heat, add the duck and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat is golden brown and crisp. Season to taste. Place on a plate surrounded by the quartered limes, ready to serve.
For the salsa, put tomatillos and garlic in a small pot with 3 tbsp of water and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the chillies and adobo liquid and process in the pot with a stick blender until smooth. Season and add the lime juice. Pour into a serving bowl.
Shred cabbage and onion and place in a salad bowl. Sprinkle coriander on top.
To serve, heat the tortillas - these can be microwaved, steamed or cooked in a pan. Add duck, salad and salsa with a squeeze of lime, then wrap your tortilla.

HOT TIPS
* The chipotle will come in bigger tins than you need. Cover the remainder with a little olive oil for future use.You can use it chopped and blended with butter for meat and seafood barbecues - delicious!
* Try using chicken instead of duck. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes. You can also use corn tortillas if you prefer.
* Tomatillo, a member of the nightshade family, is a staple in Mexican cooking. They're also known as "tomate verde" (green tomatoes).

SOMETHING TO DRINK
Gamay
Gamay may not be a well-known grape, but Sorrenberg in Beechworth, Victoria, is producing outstanding examples. The 2012 vintage ($44) is light and bright, with flavours of redcurrants and cherries and soft, silky tannins. It's a very happy match for duck.

Photography by William Meppem; Jennifer soo. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Dominic Smith.