The Harbord Room lives on through its duck ragu pasta
The recently closed food stalwart was known for its burger, but this pasta deserves a place in history
It’s been two weeks since the closing of the Harbord Room, the 30-seat, pink-walled restaurant that’s been a stalwart in Toronto’s food scene since 2007. But diners already miss the medium-rare dry-aged brisket and chuck burger dressed with cheddar, caramelized onions and aioli on a brioche bun.
When my party arrived for our reservation on a Wednesday night in October, three days before the restaurant closed, staff announced immediately that they were out of burgers.
Dismayed, we perused the menu and found a re- cent addition: duck rigatoni. Housemade pasta tossed in an aromatic anise and clove-spiced tomato sauce, shreds of juicy duck, Parmesan and crispy bits of duck skin. Later that night I told chef Robbie Hojilla that I needed the recipe before the restaurant closed for good.
The restaurant’s owners Cory Vitiello, Chris Shiki and Dave Mitton decided not to renew the lease as Vitiello and Shiki focuses on expanding Flock, the fastcasual roast chicken restaurants that have four locations in the city. Meanwhile, Mitton will concentrate on being a brand ambassador for Canadian whisky.
Hojilla will be running the kitchen at a new, yet-to-be-named place in the east end. There, the Filipino chef with a flair for mixing old-European cooking with Filipino flavours plans on using Canadian ingredients to create his takes on Asian dishes. His duck pasta dish at the Harbord Room is a good example of this kind of cooking, combining the old Tuscan dish of wild boar ragu and giving it a Southeast Asian flair with the use of duck and spices like anise, cloves and cinnamon.
Rigatoni With Tuscan-Style Duck Ragu
Star Tested This simplified version from chef Robbie Hojilla uses boxed pasta and panko crumbs. In lieu of duck, substitute 2 lbs of boneless pork shoulder cut into 2-inch chunks.
For the ragu 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 4 duck legs 11/2 cups (375 mL) finely diced onion 3/4 cup (180 mL) each: finely diced carrot and finely diced celery 8 to 10 garlic cloves, finely minced 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt 1 tbsp (15 mL) each: finely chopped fresh rosemary, finely chopped fresh thyme leaves Zest of 1 orange 1 tsp (5 mL) each: ground star anise, ground cinnamon, ground juniper berries, ground cloves 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili flakes 3 tbsp (45 mL) tomato paste 2 cups (500 mL) red wine 1-796 mL can of tomatoes, juice reserved (about 2 cups)
For the pasta 1 lb (6 cups) dried rigatoni pasta 1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice Panko crumbs, for garnish Chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish
In a large pot over high medium-heat, heat oil. Sear duck legs on each side till golden brown, about 5 min- utes per side. Remove legs from heat and set aside.
Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and pepper to pot. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add rosemary, thyme, orange zest, star anise, cinnamon, juniper, cloves, chili flakes and tomato paste. Stir frequently until tomato paste begins to darken, 5 minutes.
Add wine to deglaze pan.
Bring to a simmer and cook until most of wine has cooked off, 30 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and juice.
Return duck legs to pot. Add just enough water to cover duck legs.
Bring heat up to medium-high. Bring liquid to a boil and immediately turn heat down to a gentle simmer.
Cover and let cook for about 2 hours, or until duck meat is tender enough to pierce with a knife.
Remove duck legs from pot and let rest until cool enough to touch. Remove meat from bones and shred. Discard bones and skin.
Skim off excess fat from braising liquid. Turn heat up to medium and reduce sauce to a thick pasta sauce consistency. Add shredded duck meat back to sauce.
Meanwhile cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente.
Drain and add pasta to sauce. Stir and taste. Add more salt, pepper and chili flakes, if necessary.
Remove pot from heat. Stir in Parmesan and butter until melted and combined. Stir in lemon juice.
Divide pasta into serving bowls. Garnish with more Parmesan, panko and parsley. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. karonliu@thestar.ca