Duck Rice
A festive Portuguese dish. Creamy rice cooked in duck broth, with shredded duck meat, chorizo, and bacon, baked until golden.
📖 The Story
Arroz de Pato was born in Braga, in northern Portugal, probably from the need to use up leftovers from the previous day's stew. In the old days, it was prepared in clay molds or tiles for a slower, more flavorful cooking. The recipe became popular in the mid-20th century, when the rise of restaurants spread it throughout the country. Rice, a legacy of the Moors who occupied Portugal in the 8th century, found its perfect partner in duck. Today, Arroz de Pato is known in Brazil as "Arroz à Portuguesa" and is a must-have at festive tables.
🧺 Ingredients
- 1 whole duck (about 2kg)
- 400g rice
- 200g chorizo
- 150g bacon
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- Chopped parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the duck in salted water with onion, garlic, and bay leaves for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- 2
Remove the duck and reserve the broth. Shred the duck meat.
- 3
Cut the chorizo into slices and the bacon into cubes. Fry them in a pan.
- 4
In a pot, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil. Add the rice and sauté.
- 5
Add the hot duck broth (double the volume of rice) and cook the rice.
- 6
When the rice is almost cooked, add the shredded duck meat.
- 7
Transfer to an oven dish. Top with chorizo and bacon.
- 8
Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes until golden.
- 9
Garnish with parsley and serve.