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Portuguese duck rice - arroz de pato
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
A traditional Portuguese dish that’s sure to delight your family and guests. It’s perfect comfort food that will make your house smell so good!
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Portugal, Portuguese
Keyword: arroz de pato, duck rice
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1/2 raw duck cut into 6 to 8 pieces
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 whole cooking onion sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 large carrot peeled and roughly cut into large pieces
  • 1 whole Portuguese chouriço about 12oz or 340g
  • 1 piece toucinho (or smoked bacon or pancetta) chopped (7oz or 200g)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 cups water or enough to cover the duck
  • 2 cups long grain white rice
  • 1/2 cup black olives
  • Fresh parsley roughly chopped (for garnish over the cooked dish)
Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat a 1/4 cup olive oil on medium to medium high heat.

  2. Add the pieces of duck, skin side down and cook until browned on the first side, roughly 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Turn the duck pieces over and brown for another 2 minutes.

  4. Remove the duck pieces and place them on a plate.

  5. Add the onions to the dutch oven and sauté for about 1 minute.

  6. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute or until the onions are soft.

  7. Add the white wine and scrape the stuck on bits of duck from the bottom and edges of the pan.
  8. Add the salt and pepper.

  9. Cook the wine for about 2 minutes.

  10. Place the pieces of duck back in the pot.

  11. Add the chouriço, toucinho, carrots, bay leaf and water.

  12. Bring to a boil and place the lid on the pot.

  13. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 50 minutes.

  14. While the duck is cooking, place the rice in a large mesh sieve and wash under cold water for about 1 minute.

  15. Place/fit a bowl under the sieve, fill it with water until the rice is submersed, and let the rice continue to soak until it’s needed later in the recipe.

  16. Once the duck is cooked, use tongs to remove the duck pieces, toucinho and chouriço from the broth onto a plate and let cool.

  17. Strain the broth from the pot into a large measuring cup or bowl.

  18. Discard the remaining ingredients.

  19. In a medium or large pot, heat 4 1/2 cups of the strained broth until it starts to bubble.

  20. Add the rice, bring to a light boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook for 8 to 9 minutes.

  21. Preheat the oven on the broiler setting.

  22. Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it rest covered for about 10 minutes. Don’t peak!

  23. Uncover the pot of rice and fluff with a fork.

  24. Once the duck has cooled down, shred/pull all the meat off the bones, and discard the bones. Set aside.

  25. Cut the chouriço into wheels and the toucinho in small bite-sized peices.

  26. In a large bowl, place the fluffed rice, shredded duck, 1/2 the chouriço wheels, toucinho pieces, black olives, and toss to mix all the ingredients well.

  27. Place the mixed duck ingredients in a large deep baking dish (we used a traditional red Portuguese clay dish).

  28. Place the remaining chouriço wheels over the rice in a decorative way. Be creative!

  29. Place the dish in the oven and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chouriço edges get a little crispy.

  30. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Save any leftover broth for future use. Add some of the broth to the rice before reheating the next day to increase the moisture.