Duck ragù

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat until hot, then lay the duck legs skin side down in the pan. Season generously. Leave to brown for about 10 minutes or until the skin is golden and crisp, then turn them over to brown on the other side. Now, season this side of the legs. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onions, carrots, celery and the bay leaves. Stir through then tuck the bay leaves under the duck. Cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile blend the tinned tomatoes (if using instead of passata) in a food processor or push them through a sieve into a bowl. Add the wine to the duck pan and allow it to bubble and evaporate for a few minutes, and for the strong smell of alcohol to diminish, then add the tomatoes and 400 ml of the stock or water. Bring to the boil, remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce. Add seasoning to taste and loosely cover the pan with a lid. Leave to cook over a low heat for around 1 hour or until the meat falls off the bones easily (push a knife into the meat to see how soft it is). You may need to add the remaining stock if it looks a little dry. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
3. When the legs are cool enough to touch, remove them from the pan and pull off the meat and skin. Discard the bones and skin. Roughly chop the meat with a large knife, then put it back into the pan and stir through. If eating straight away, heat through and mix with cooked and drained pasta in the pan and serve. Otherwise, chill and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.