Duck With Olives and Mushrooms (Spanish)

This recipe makes an excellent oven-roasted duck in Provencal sauce. It smells great and is very colorful. Buy a frozen 4-6 pound duck, thawing it completely in the fridge before using. Adapted from Cooking in a Casserole by Robert C. Ackart (1967).

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 dish

Ingredients

• for the seasoning

• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika (smoked Spanish is best)
• 1  duck, cut into quarters (2 wing pieces, 2 leg pieces)

• for the sauce

• 3  tablespoons butter
• 3  large carrots, sliced
• 3  large  stalk celery, chopped
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can  del monte fresh cut diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano (or 1 cup tomato juice)
• 1  bay leaf, broken
• 1⁄3 cup green olives, sliced, rinsed (pimento stuffed olives add color)
• 1⁄2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. Assemble and prepare all ingredients.
2. Mix together the seasonings and sprinkle on duck. (You may start baking the duck right away, but it will taste better, of course, if you let it marinate in the spices for an hour or two in the fridge first.)
3. In a 6-quart casserole dish, arrange the duck pieces with skin side up. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F. for 90 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
4. In saucepan, melt butter, add carrots, celery, and onion; cook until onion is translucent.
5. Add diced tomatoes and bay leaf to vegetables to cook, covered, for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
6. Add olives and mushrooms to casserole, then contents of the saucepan.
7. (At this point you may stop, refrigerate, and continue later if you want to have it ready just as guests arrive. Otherwise, continue.).
8. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees F. for 30 minutes.