Pato-bravo com Sálvia (Pot-baked Duck with Sage) is a traditional Mozambican recipe for a classic snack of semolina balls that are fried and soaked in coconut milk syrup before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mozambican version of: Pot-baked Duck with Sage (Pato-bravo com Sálvia).
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Ingredients:
2 ducks (Muscovy ducks would be typical)
50g butter
4 fresh sage leaves
500g tomatoes, blanched, peeled and sliced
500g mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
120ml dry white wine
3 tbsp brandy
250ml game stock or chicken stock
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Wash the ducks thoroughly and dry with kitchen paper. Season both inside and out with salt and black pepper.
Sit the sage leaves inside the body cavities then truss the birds with string.
Place the tomatoes and mushrooms in a casserole dish and dot with the butter. Add the thyme and rosemary and season with salt and black pepper. Sit the ducks, breast downwards, on top then drizzle over 2 tbsp of the the brandy and white wine. Add more sage leaves on top of the birds.
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for 30 minutes. After this time turn the ducks over and cook for 30 minutes more, basting occasionally with the pan juices.
At the end of the cooking time remove the ducks and set aside to keep warm. Strain the contents of the pan into a saucepan, pressing down with the back of a spoon on the solids to extract as much of the liquid and pulp as possible. Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp water to a smooth slurry then whisk into the sauce.
Bring to a boil and add the remaining 1 tbsp brandy. Cook until thickened then take of the heat and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Remove the trussings from the duck and slice the meat. Serve accompanied by boiled and mashed sweet potatoes and the sauce.
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