Arroz de pato
Arroz de pato à moda de Braga
Duck simmered with chouriço and bacon, the rice cooked in its broth, then layered with shredded duck and baked under rounds of chouriço until crisp.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Arroz de pato à moda de Braga.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 15 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 2 hr 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Treat yourself$28+ USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Arroz de pato à moda de Braga is duck rice finished in the oven. Duck is simmered with chouriço, a piece of bacon, onion and carrot until the meat falls off the bone, and the rich broth is strained and used to cook the rice. The rice goes into a wide baking dish in layers with the shredded duck, the top is covered with rounds of chouriço and strips of bacon, and it bakes until the surface is crisp and the sausage fat has run into the rice. This version uses duck legs rather than a whole bird. Keep the rice slightly wet before it goes in the oven; it dries as it bakes.
What you'll need
12 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Chorizo, Portuguese chouriço if you can get it, in one piece200 g
- Bacon, smoked, in one piece150 g
- Onion, halved1 large
- Carrot, halved1 medium
- Garlic, peeled3 clove
- Dry white wine150 ml
- Water2 l
- Rice, Carolino or another medium-grain rice400 g
- Salt9.9 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Put the duck legs, chouriço, bacon, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, wine and water in a large pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the duck pulls away from the bone.
80 min
Tip: Lift the chouriço out after 30 minutes so it keeps its shape. It has given the broth enough by then.
Step 2
Lift out the meat. Strain the broth and spoon off most of the fat, keeping 2 tablespoons of it. Pull the duck from the bones in large shreds, discarding skin and bones. Slice the chouriço into rounds and the bacon into thin strips.
20 min
Step 3
Heat the oven to 200°C. Warm the reserved duck fat in a wide saucepan, add the rice and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in 1 litre of the hot broth, season with the pepper and the salt, tasting first because the bacon and chouriço are salty, and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the rice is almost tender but still loose and wet.
12 min
Step 4
Spread half the rice in a large baking dish or clay dish, cover with the duck, then add the rest of the rice. Arrange the chouriço rounds and bacon strips over the top in rows.
5 min
Step 5
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden and the chouriço has browned at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
20 min200°C
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 553 kcal
- Protein
- 73.9 g
- Carbs
- 29.8 g
- Fat
- 12.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.6 g
- Fibre
- 1.8 g
- Sugar
- 3.7 g
- Sodium
- 1553 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Duck legs → A whole duck of about 2 kg, jointed
Simmer it for about 1 hour 30 minutes. More fat to skim, more broth for the rice.
Tips
- Make the broth and shred the duck a day ahead. Chill the broth and lift off the set fat, which is easier than skimming.
- Some Braga cooks brush the top with beaten egg yolk before baking for a glossier crust.
History & culture
It is a Minho Sunday and feast-day dish, made for christenings, weddings and family lunches, and on the menu of most restaurants in the North. Across Portugal it is a standard restaurant main, often brought out in the clay dish it was baked in. An orange salad or a plain green salad cuts the richness.
Duck rice is an old dish of northern Portugal, where farmyard ducks were common and rice was a feast-day staple. Braga's version, baked with chouriço on top, became the one restaurants copy. Older recipes simmered a whole duck for hours, and some still add salpicão, a smoked loin sausage, which is why the broth matters as much as the meat.
Traditional — A whole farmyard duck is traditional and gives more broth. Duck legs are easier to buy and cook more evenly. In Braga, salpicão often joins the chouriço on top.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Arroz de pato take?
2 hr 35 min all in — 20 min prep, 2 hr 15 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Treat yourself — about $28+ USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot, Chef's knife, Saucepan, Oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Duck legs → A whole duck of about 2 kg, jointed. Simmer it for about 1 hour 30 minutes. More fat to skim, more broth for the rice.
Any tips from this recipe?
Make the broth and shred the duck a day ahead. Chill the broth and lift off the set fat, which is easier than skimming. Some Braga cooks brush the top with beaten egg yolk before baking for a glossier crust.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Make the broth and shred the duck a day ahead. Chill the broth and lift off the set fat, which is easier than skimming.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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