Date Night Cooking

By Andy Cooks · 120 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Wash and dry the potatoes, rub them with a little olive oil and salt, then bake on a tray for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, until completely soft when tested with a skewer.
3. Let the potatoes cool until easy to handle, then halve them, scoop out the flesh and pass it through a ricer or mash until smooth.
4. Drizzle the beaten egg over the potato, add a pinch of salt and sprinkle with the flour. Use a bench scraper to cut them together, adding more flour if the dough is wet.
5. Knead the dough lightly, just until it holds its shape, taking care not to overwork it.
6. Dust the work surface with flour, divide the dough and roll into logs about two fingers thick. Cut each log into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and place on a floured tray.
7. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the gnocchi in batches, stirring gently. When they float, cook 30 seconds more, then lift out with a slotted spoon onto an oiled tray and chill in the fridge. They can be made 1–2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
8. Season the skin side of the duck legs with salt. Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a cold pan with a lid, add the duck skin side down and cook over medium heat until golden and the fat has rendered. Season the other side with salt, turn and colour briefly, then set aside.
9. In the same pan, sauté the onion with a pinch of salt for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Add the carrot, celery and garlic, stir, then add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
10. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the bay leaf and rosemary, return the duck legs skin side up and pour in the chicken stock until it nearly covers the duck.
11. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low heat for 1½ to 2 hours until the duck is tender.
12. Remove the duck legs and reduce the sauce slightly over medium heat. Shred the meat, finely chop the skin, return both to the sauce, fold together and cool in a tray in the fridge.
13. To serve, heat portions of the ragu until hot. Pan-fry the gnocchi in olive oil over high heat until golden on all sides, then toss with a small knob of butter. Spoon the ragu onto plates, top with the gnocchi and finish with shaved Pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.

Summarized from Andy Cooks's video. Watch it for the details.

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