Duck Leg and Sweetbread Ragout

Here’s a lucien vanel dish for the “thrifty cook, ” though only a restaurant chef would consider this economical today. The dish derives from Vanel’s mother’s way with leftovers. I find it quite marvelous that he took this kind of simple home-cooking idea to the restaurant stage, gaining two Michelin stars in the process. I loved watching him work. The first thing he did every morning was look in the refrigerator and see what he could “use up” on that day’s menu.

This fascinating ra