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–+ servings
Portuguese duck rice

Portuguese-style arroz de Pato (duck rice)

Portuguese-style Arroz de Pato (Duck Rice) is a rich and aromatic dish featuring tender, slow-cooked duck combined with flavorful rice, chorizo, and traditional herbs. This beloved classic of Portuguese cuisine delivers a perfect harmony of smoky, savory, and slightly spicy notes, all baked to golden perfection. Ideal for festive occasions or a comforting family meal, Arroz de Pato brings a taste of Portugal’s rustic culinary heritage to your table.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Portuguese
Keyword: Arroz de pato recipe, Authentic Portuguese duck rice with chorizo, Duck rice Portuguese style, How to make Portuguese-style arroz de pato, Portuguese arroz de pato, Portuguese duck and rice casserole, Traditional Portuguese duck rice
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For the stock:

  • 1 whole duck quartered
  • 100 g bacon cut in chunks
  • 150 g Portuguese (or Spanish chorizo
  • 1 carrot
  • 4 cloves of garlic crushed with a knife
  • 2 bay leaves a sprig of rosemary, 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 1/2 port or red wine
  • 4-5 cups of water

For the dish:

  • 1 small onion chopped
  • duck meat chourico, bacon and duck stock from above
  • 2 tbsp reserved duck fat
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1.5 cups long grain rice Carolino, basmati
  • Fresh parsley or coriander chopped

Instructions

For the stock:

  • Place a large stock pot over high heat. Once hot, place the duck pieces with the fat facing down, fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain the fat into a bowl and keep it. Reduce the heat to medium.
  • Add in 1 onion cut in quarters (keep the skin on for more stock colour), the carrot, the whole crushed garlic cloves, the bay leaves, and the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Cook for a minute or two. Deglaze with the port or red wine.
  • Add HALF the chouriço and all the bacon to the stock pot, cover with the water. Season it with salt and black pepper, and let it simmer for 40 minutes.
  • Remove the duck pieces, the bay leaf and herbs, the bacon and the chouriço from the broth, set aside to cool. Remove the meat from the duck legs.
  • Add the bones and skin back into the pot and return to the heat and continue to simmer another 20 minutes or so.
  • As the stock continues to cook, shred up the rest of the duck and set it all aside, discarding any skin or fat. Finely chop the bacon and chourico that was in the pot and set aside.
  • Once the stock has cooked a little longer, remove from heat and let cool slightly then remove as much fat from the top as you can, then strain the stock. Discard the bones and bits. If you have the time, you can store the stock in the fridge to harden the fat, making it easier to remove.

For the rest of the dish:

  • Pre heat the oven to 375F/190 °C.
  • Place a medium pan (preferably with a thick bottom) over medium heat, add in a couple of spoons of the rendered duck fat reserved at the beginning. Dice the remaining onion and fry it until translucent. Add the garlic, and chopped bacon and chourico from earlier. Add in the rice, fry it for about 2 minutes, coating it in the duck fat. Season with salt and pepper
  • Add three cups (720ml) of the duck stock to the pot with the rice, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes or until the rice is just cooked and the liquid is largely absorbed.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the shredded duck meat. Pour everything into a baking dish then place slices of the other half of the chourico (that you didn't make the stock from) spaced out over the top.
  • Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until the top of the rice is gently crisped and chourico is starting to crisp up as well.
  • To serve, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or coriander.
  • Serve with a lovely glass of Portuguese red wine. ENJOY!