This ancient mountain recipe from Roussillon dates back to times when vegetables were scarce and costly. Locals relied on firm, green high-altitude pears, preserved on oats, for this dish.
Difficulty: Moderate
Salt and pepper the duck inside. Peel the garlic clove, rub it on the bread crouton, and insert both inside the duck with the thyme sprig. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes. Remove, cover with foil, and set aside. Lightly degrease the roasting pan.
Peel the pears, halve them, remove cores and seeds, arrange in the roasting pan, sprinkle with ginger, and bake in a low oven for 20 minutes. Peel and chop the onion; blanch, peel, seed, and crush the tomato; peel and chop the garlic cloves.
Drain the pear halves and set aside. In the roasting pan, sauté the onion, tomato, chili, almonds, and garlic. Deglaze with rancio, add vinegar and 2 glasses of water, then mix. Remove the garlic-rubbed crouton from the duck and mash it to thicken this aromatic sauce.
Serve the duck whole or carved, with the sauce and cooked pear halves.
The rancio is a distinctive wine from the Catalan region, especially Roussillon.
Source: Cuisines Régionales de France. Languedoc-Roussillon. Editions de Fanal.
