It’s easy, if the right pre-requisites are there.
The ducks are those of the house: and this is a fundamental requirement, since we know what they eat and how they live.
The second requirement: the duck must be killed …. hams are made with the meat of animals that are no longer alive. And someone, as Pellegrino told me in one of our first conversations when we met, someone has to do it. Also do it well, trying not to make the animal suffer or stress.
Then the duck must be plucked, gutted, washed. Finally dissected.
We move on to the salting. Here comes the third requirement: herbs. Here in Farneta the herbs are in the garden: laurel, myrtle, fennel. We buy spices instead: juniper berries, peppercorns. Then, of course, salt is needed for the salting, to the extent of about 4 % of the weight of the meat.
The fourth requirement is the place: it must not only be clean, but fresh and well ventilated. Obviously this place exists in Pellegrino’s country house. The meat remains in the salt for only one day: this is due to the fact that it is small quantities and an extension of the time would cause an unpleasant drying and salting of the meat.
The thighs are washed in a basin of wine and dried with a cloth. The thighs, but also the breasts, so prepared, are hung and … you wait.
This is the result after 15 days. You can’t understand ..(how good it is!)!
Marcella Ansaldo