Recipes Rice with Duck and Apricots 5.0 (1,887) 1 Review George Mendes's signature dish includes poached duck breast and homemade duck confit. Buy the confit instead, and forgo the breast. By George Mendes George Mendes Instagram A 2013 Food & Wine Best New Chef, George Mendes was the executive chef at Aldea, a Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurant in New York City, from 2009 to 2022. He opened Veranda at the ModernHaus SoHo hotel in 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 23, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © David Malosh Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins Yield: 4 to 5 Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 small onion, finely chopped 1 plum tomato, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon sweet paprika Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled 1 cup arborio rice 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 confit duck legs, skinned and meat coarsely shredded 1/4 cup thinly sliced chorizo 1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives 1/4 cup diced dried apricots Salt and freshly ground pepper Directions Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately low heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomato and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and saffron. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add half of the broth and gently simmer until absorbed, 8 minutes. Stir in the duck, chorizo, olives and apricots and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Bake the skillet uncovered until the rice absorbs the liquid and is tender, 16 minutes. Suggested Pairing Spicy, blackberry-rich red from Portugal's Dão region. Rate it Print