Benjamin showed up after noon, more or less, cheerfully bringing along a large crock of duck stew. Riding along with him was Pearl, the little white crow, which meant that Sass, his fennec fox, was under his sweatshirt. He let them off to play with Gussie, or maybe he was hopping Gussie would keep the two hooligans in line.
The Duck Stew:
Dutch-Oven Duck
Ingredients
3 cups duck breast fillets cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil
1 large red onion roughly chopped
3 medium carrots roughly chopped
3 celery stalks roughly chopped
1 bell pepper any color, diced
3 to 5 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 quarts beef or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups russet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms any variety
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
Season the duck liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a thin layer of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the duck and brown it evenly on all sides. Mix in the onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent.
Add the garlic and broth. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add the sweet potato, russet potato, mushrooms, and rosemary. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with crusty bread.
