An emblematic stew from Huaral: tender duck coated in a deeply flavored sauce of onion, garlic, ají mirasol, and ají panca. Wine and stock lift the duck without turning the dish into northern seco or arroz con pato, while boiled cassava catches the dark, concentrated sauce. A festive Sunday dish with more than two centuries of Huaral identity.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Pat the duck pieces thoroughly dry with absorbent paper. Season them all over with some of the salt, half the cumin, and half the black pepper. Finely chop the red onion and have the mirasol, panca, garlic, wine, and stock measured before cooking.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the duck pieces without crowding and brown them in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, starting skin-side down when applicable, until they develop deeply browned areas. Remove the duck. If it rendered excessive fat, leave only a thin coating in the bottom of the pot.
Lower the heat to medium and add the red onion. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, scraping the bottom, until very soft and beginning to brown. Add the ground garlic, ají mirasol paste, ají panca paste, remaining cumin, remaining black pepper, and some of the salt. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the base is dark, thick, fragrant, and free of any raw-chili aroma.
Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom thoroughly for 2 minutes, until the alcoholic aroma softens. Add the poultry stock and return the duck along with any collected juices. Once it reaches a simmer, lower the heat and cook partially covered for 50 to 55 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the meat is tender when pierced but still attached to the bone. The liquid should barely simmer rather than boil aggressively.
When the duck has about 25 minutes remaining, peel the cassava, cut it into large pieces, and remove any tough central fiber you encounter. Boil it in the water with the remaining salt for 18 to 22 minutes, until tender and just beginning to split at the edges while still holding its shape. Drain and keep warm.
Once the duck is tender, uncover the pot and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes if needed, until the sauce is thick, glossy, and clinging to the duck, not watery. Move the pot rather than stirring aggressively so the pieces remain intact. Serve each piece with boiled cassava and plenty of ají sauce. The first flavors should be duck and toasted chili, with the onion melted into the background and no loche, cilantro, or chicha turning it into another stew. Huaral in a pot: duck, ají, and patience. 🦆
