Five Spice Duck Ragù

Humans have been migrating all over the world for tens of thousands of years, first on foot, then by caravan, and eventually across vast oceans on ships. This was at a time when much of the world was unknown and most couldn’t comprehend what lie more than a day’s travel from their homes. Migrations were reserved for the most dire of situations and could take years, or even generations to make. The slow pace of travel resulted in many insular groups of humans developing their own culture and traditions with little to no influence from the outside world.

With each progressive step forward in transportation technology such as the steamship, the automobile and the jet plane, humans have able to move around en mass, cheaper and faster than ever before. Ironically, in a time when we can reach the opposite end of the world in less than a day, there’s been an accelerating trend towards homogenization. Tea drinking cultures are increasingly becoming coffee drinkers, cuisines with a historical reliance on the sustainable bounty of the ocean are turning to hamburgers, and ancient family recipes are being lost with the passing of a generation.

Duck legs covered in salt and spices curing

In a few centuries, it’s conceivable that regional boundaries will have become so blurred that we may refer to distinctive cuisines by era rather than by region. It’s a scary thought, but I’ve never been one to stone-wall progress, so this Five Spice Duck Ragù is my first in a series of recipes I hope to feature on where i think food may be headed in a few generations. I’ve used techniques and ingredients from a handful of countries, including China, Italy, Japan, and France to come up with a dish that doesn’t sit firmly in any one of these countries, driven more by taste, rather than loyalties to any one cuisine.

After a few days curing, the duck legs have excreted their extra moisture and they are ready to confit

This dish starts with a duck confit that’s cured in salt sugar and spices for a few days, which draws out excess moisture, and concentrates the flavours of the duck. The cured duck legs then get braised for hours in a pot full of its own fat. Originally used as a way of preserving fruits and meat in France, confit is a great way to cook tougher cuts of meat without drying them out. This recipe makes 4 duck legs, but since you only need 2 for the pasta, you can save the other two for another pasta meal, or just toss them in a pan with some duck fat and fry them until they’re golden brown on the outside and the skin is nice and crisp.

The sauce is much sweeter than a typical ragù, and this is the Japanese influence. I like the fact that the sweetness offsets the tartness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the duck. It also compliments the sweet spices like cinnamon, clove and star anise. If you’re a pasta purist, you probably won’t be interested in this recipe anyway but you can make your sauce less sweet by omitting the honey from the sauce.

As for the pasta, I’d originally planned to show you how to make hand-pulled Uyghur style noodles, but it’s a technique I’ve yet to master, so until I have the technique down, I’d suggest using some other kind of pasta (fusilli or udon would work well). Make sure you cook them al dente as they will absorb more liquid when you toss them with the sauce.

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