"Sango is an ancient dish once eaten in the southern Andes – today, it has mostly been replaced by rice,” Morales says of this creamy Peruvian mash. This version is made with freekeh. “It's sweet and hearty, which makes it suitable as a dessert, but it is also a great accompaniment to any rich, savoury stew. Here, I've paired it with traditional stewed duck.”
Make Martin Morales' Sango con Adobo
Duck legs are a foil for this rich, creamy freekeh mash and fiery adobo de pato sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time 120 mins
Cooking time 120 mins
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs, pricked all over
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped or grated
- 50g panca chilli paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 6 bay leaves
- 100ml dry cider
- 500ml chicken stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marinade
- 100ml orange juice
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin
For the sango
- 100g freekeh
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 50g palm sugar or light soft brown sugar
- 250ml milk
- 50g queso fresco or feta, crumbled
- 1 tbsp peanuts, lightly chopped
- 1 tbsp raisins, soaked in a little hot water
Method
- First, make the marinade. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, whisk together and season with plenty of salt. Add the duck legs to the marinade bowl. Cover, place in the fridge and leave to marinate for 2 hours.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan or casserole. Remove the duck legs from the marinade and pat dry, reserving the sauce. Sear the duck legs until the skin is a deep golden brown all over and much of the fat has rendered out, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the duck from the pan and set aside.
- Strain off the fat from the pan and add the onion. Fry for 7-8 minutes until lightly coloured and softened, then add the chilli paste, oregano, bay leaves, cider and chicken stock. Season, return the duck to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 1-1½ hours until the duck is tender.
- To make the sango, rinse the freekeh thoroughly, then put it in a saucepan and toast on a medium heat until aromatic. Pour in 200ml water, bring to the boil and season with salt. Reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer until the freekah is cooked and the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat, then stir in the flour to create a paste. Continue to cook until the flour has had a chance to cook out, about 3-4 minutes, then add the sugar and milk.
- Reduce the heat and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Tip in the cooked freekah and the cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper, then cook gently, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the duck from its cooking liquor and keep warm. Boil the contents of the pan until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy sauce – about 5 minutes. To serve, divide the sango between 4 plates or shallow bowls. Top with the duck and drizzle over sauce. Top with the peanuts and raisins.
From Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food by Martin Morales; photography David Loftus. Published by Quadrille.
