Okay Foodies

[monstermoose78]

Can you share some good ideas for Duck seeing Duck Season just opened and a got a couple. I normally make wild rice hotdish with my ducks, but I am looking for new ideas.

[bobberineyes]

I like to grill mine, mostly cubed up wrapped in bacon. But the last few I did I took the breast meat and flattened it out with a tenderizer, lay on a  piece pepper jack cheese,  roll it up,  wrap a couple pieces of bacon around it , stick a couple tooth picks in to hold everything together and grill it. You can even put some green pepper in the middle if you want.....works better with big ducks of course. 

[delcecchi]

Sorry, most of the foodie stuff is for domestic ducks with their copious amount of fat. 

I will say that one of the best things I ever ate was duck confit at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House in Las Vegas. 

It is legs and thighs of duck, seasoned and then cooked very slowly in duck fat. 

Here is one recipe...

Ingredients

• Duck Confit

• 1/4 cup table salt
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 6 medium garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 12 parsley stems, with leaves attached
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 duck legs (see note)
• 4 cups duck fat (see note)

Instructions

 

1. For the Confit: Process salt, onion, garlic, peppercorns, parsley, and bay leaves in food processor until smooth paste with some small chunks forms, about 30 seconds, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Massage duck legs with salt mixture and place in gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Press out air, seal bag, and place in refrigerator 12 to 18 hours

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse duck legs under cold running water, rubbing off any salt mixture. Pat legs dry with paper towels. Heat duck fat in large saucepan over medium heat until completely transparent (if using canola oil, it should register about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer). Add duck legs, making sure they are completely submerged in fat. Transfer pot to oven and cook until meat offers no resistance when poked with fork, 3 to 4 hours.

(note that duck fat, which might be in short supply, is preferred but vegetable oil can be used instead or in addition. 

Then you can take them out of the fat and crisp them or use them as is, or store them submerged in the fat for up to a month. 

Edited September 26, 2015 by delcecchi

[chaffmj]

I know a guy that does something similar to what bobberineyes suggested. It is a jalapeno popper with the bacon and duck.

[eyeguy 54]

make jerky moose

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Moose, I'm a little late to the party, but I highly suggest you check out Hank Shaw's Honest Food page.  He has great info on prepping ducks and plenty of duck recipes.  Hank also has fantastic information on prepping and cooking most wild game that is found in North America.  

[monstermoose78]

make jerky moose

well if you would have seen me shoot Sunday I can't make jerky

[reinhard1]

I don't hunt ducks but I do have a old wild game cook book with some recipe's for wild ducks.  Here is one:

 

Marinated Duck

 

2 ducks

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 T sugar

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 sm. onion, chopped

1 tsp. ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves, crumbled

 

Cut ducks in half lengthwise. Place in plastic bag in shallow pan.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over duck.  Cover and marinate overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove ducks from marinade and place skin side up in 13 by 19 inch pan.  Bake uncovered, 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.  Pour marinade over ducks and cover lightly.  Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until tender.  Occasionally baste with marinade.  good luck.

[BLACKJACK]

If I get a couple/three ducks in the morning what I'll do is breast them out, bone too, so if you have 3 ducks, you'll have 6 pieces of meat.  If they're mallards each half is a nice chunk of meat, but it works for smaller ducks too, especially wood ducks or teal.

 

Marinate the chunks in a mixture of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, 2-3 hours is enough, stirring a few times,  I usually hunt in the morning and have the duck for lunch (it never hits the freezer), just throw it on the grill, cook it hot and fast, turning several times, start eating the smaller pieces ('teal test pieces'), you want to keep them on the pink side, even rare, eat like you would a piece of venison back-strap, knife and fork and a couple slices of buttered bread.  Mmmmmmm.

 

Most people can't see eating duck rare but if you like your beef or venison rare, try this.

 

[delcecchi]

Typically domestic duck breast is "seared" and served rare.  Maybe not rare like ahi, but pretty rare.  I wondered how that would be with wild duck.  My mom, bless her, never cooked anything rare in her life.  So I have no experience with wild duck not well done. 

That would be a good combo with confiting the legs and thighs. 

[Slabasaurus]

Typically domestic duck breast is "seared" and served rare.  Maybe not rare like ahi, but pretty rare.  I wondered how that would be with wild duck.  My mom, bless her, never cooked anything rare in her life.  So I have no experience with wild duck not well done. 

That would be a good combo with confiting the legs and thighs. 

I was actually wondering this same thing.  I haven't had wild duck that wasn't overdone.

Apparently sometimes you'll get a real fatty duck and you can actually do a sort of wild duck foie gras.... if you're into that sorta thing (I am but I don't order it at restaurants because I am not a richard).  I haven't duck hunted so I have no idea how uncommon a fatty duck is around these parts. 

Some Hunting article on wild duck fat content and foie gras.

[CaughtABuzz]

Sorry, most of the foodie stuff is for domestic ducks with their copious amount of fat. 

I will say that one of the best things I ever ate was duck confit at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House in Las Vegas. 

It is legs and thighs of duck, seasoned and then cooked very slowly in duck fat. 

Here is one recipe...

I am sorry Delcecchi but that is a big mis-conception about needing a tame duck to cook a gourmet meal. There is a lot more that can be done to a bird from the field to the plate that will no doubt get you a meal that looks and tasts like a 5 star restaurant. I am sure your mom was a great cook but cooking duck past med rare is the worst thing to do. People have a tough time eating birds that are rare but Wild birds are not the same as farm animals. Heard of hanging ducks or pheasants to age?

Mid-lake Rock is 100% correct. Check out Hank Shaw's page.....better yet buy his book duck, duck, goose. The knowledge he provides from plucking, dressing, butchering and preparing all peices of the duck will open your eyes to cooking wild birds. his Hunt, Gather, Cook is another great book for foraging and wild game. $15 dollars for his duck duck goose

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Goose-Ultimate-Cooking-Waterfowl/dp/1607745291

 

 

 

[delcecchi]

My mother, and my father for that matter were both good cooks, but they were old school.  Nothing, including ducks which dad hunted for many years and we cleaned on the old stove in the basement, ever ever didn't get cooked until they were done. 

If you remember cooking how it was say in the 30's, 40's or 50's, nothing was rare. 

If I remember, ducks were roasted or whatever in one of those blue enameled steel roasters with a lid. 

Anyway that was just an aside, to the fact that the only seared duck breast I have seen was from domestic ducks.  I presume wild duck would be as good or better, although maybe have to do it somewhat different due to not so much fat to render. 

And what does ordering duck confit have to do with being a richard?  It is a french peasant thing originally.  It was/is a way to preserve the duck meat without refrigeration or freezing.  It can be done with vegetable oil or maybe even lard if you are low on duck fat.  (they sell duck fat in cans, if you need it)

Oh and I didn't mean to imply that domestic ducks were necessary to prepare a gourmet delicious meal.  Just that the recipes were for domestic ducks. 

I don't duck hunt since I never could hit anything with a shotgun, and they watch Silver Lake here too closely to use a net.  (that's a joke)

 

Edited September 29, 2015 by delcecchi

[RebelSS]

There are one hell of a lot of ways to cook duck and geese, and other than overcooking them, (as applies to anything else) they are all good. Can't see a debate over which is better, tame or wild, unless it's Daffy, and I'm not sure how we should categorize him. Just depends on your experience and culinary preference, and also your geographical area. 

My favorite duck is Peking Duck that I had in 'Frisco, home to REAL Chinese restaurants. You can't find real Peking Duck in the Midwest. Here's some fun reading. 

http://www.sgvtribune.com/health/20150822/peking-duck-is-so-important-to-chinese-culture-it-got-a-health-code-exception-heres-why

 

PS...Del...the geese from Silver lake sure are good, though. 

 

Edited September 29, 2015 by RebelSS

[delcecchi]

I don't think I am tough enough to go man to goose at silver lake.  I hear those things will kick your butt.  There was a story I heard a few years ago, before all the weeds on the bank.  A gentleman had a few too many adult beverages and decided to get a goose.  He took corn and lured it into the backseat of his car.  Closed the doors and drove away.  The goose went wild and kicked his behind as well as not doing his car any good. 

Is it legal to shoot them on the ground with a 22?  I've got this farmer buddy....

[bobberineyes]

22 del....I'm in. Even with all the different ways of cooking, look at how people have changed on preparing.  Back in the day plucking and leaving the skin , eating every morsel was what you did, now it seems most are breast ing the bird out and throwing the rest.  Some keep the legs for smoking reasons (if the bird is big enough ) but in general people lately take the easy way out for dressing birds. I still hunt with guys that pluck all the fowl they shoot and still insist on skin on the bird. 

[RebelSS]

Del, I got my geese out on the north line with my 1100 Auto. *HONK*BOOM*!  Put a loose goose in a car...think I pulled over a few of those "drinkers" in my day. 

[Neighbor_guy]

Call me crazy, but I love the taste of duck and like it to be the center of attention. This was dinner last night:

Duck breast trimmed, dusted with cornmeal seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper. Browned in butter until rare. 

Served on a bed of hash made with red potatoes, corn, chopped carrots, apples, duck hearts, and duck livers.  

Start with a large skillet and a medium skillet.

In the smaller of the two brown the livers and hearts while you start the potatoes in the other.  

In the large skillet:Cook down the hash until potatoes are browned on the edges. Then add in corn, carrots, apples, and the browned organ meat. Cook until the apples are soft turn to lowest setting and cover. 

Meanwhile in the other cook the dusted breast meat until rare. Add cooked meat to the other pan to rest/finish. Just lay it on top and put the lid back on. I do this in batches as my daughter doesn't like it as rare as I do. This will let some of them get closer to medium-rare. 

Serve with beverage of choice. 

 

Your grandma could eat eat this meal without her teeth. So tender and soooo good. 

[Ebiz]

I'll throw in a 3rd vote for checking out Hank Shaw's web page - so many great recipes and solid information on cooking and preparing wild game.

Save the whole shanks from your deer this year and try one of his braised recipes - you'll never go back to driving yourself insane trying to turn them into burger

Edited September 30, 2015 by Ebiz

[delcecchi]

22 del....I'm in. Even with all the different ways of cooking, look at how people have changed on preparing.  Back in the day plucking and leaving the skin , eating every morsel was what you did, now it seems most are breast ing the bird out and throwing the rest.  Some keep the legs for smoking reasons (if the bird is big enough ) but in general people lately take the easy way out for dressing birds. I still hunt with guys that pluck all the fowl they shoot and still insist on skin on the bird. 

It would be my only hope, since I can neither catch a fly ball nor hit anything with a shotgun.  But a 22 or something with a scope, that I can do. 

We always scalded, plucked, waxed, plucked etc the ducks.  And ate the whole thing. 

But you don't get rare meat that way.  That's why I brought up the confit thing.  Confit is seriously delicious. 

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Reb:

Here are a couple of screen shots from a restaurant in Brooklyn Park that sells Peking duck.  I've never had the Peking, just the roasted duck (which is darn good).  There are also several places in St. Paul on University.  

 

[Slabasaurus]

My mother, and my father for that matter were both good cooks, but they were old school.  Nothing, including ducks which dad hunted for many years and we cleaned on the old stove in the basement, ever ever didn't get cooked until they were done. 

If you remember cooking how it was say in the 30's, 40's or 50's, nothing was rare. 

If I remember, ducks were roasted or whatever in one of those blue enameled steel roasters with a lid. 

Anyway that was just an aside, to the fact that the only seared duck breast I have seen was from domestic ducks.  I presume wild duck would be as good or better, although maybe have to do it somewhat different due to not so much fat to render. 

And what does ordering duck confit have to do with being a richard?  It is a french peasant thing originally.  It was/is a way to preserve the duck meat without refrigeration or freezing.  It can be done with vegetable oil or maybe even lard if you are low on duck fat.  (they sell duck fat in cans, if you need it)

Oh and I didn't mean to imply that domestic ducks were necessary to prepare a gourmet delicious meal.  Just that the recipes were for domestic ducks. 

I don't duck hunt since I never could hit anything with a shotgun, and they watch Silver Lake here too closely to use a net.  (that's a joke)

 

 It's ordering foie gras that would make one a richard if one ordered it frequently.  Nothing about confit would make you a richard.

They're both yummy though.

[RebelSS]

Reb:

Here are a couple of screen shots from a restaurant in Brooklyn Park that sells Peking duck.  I've never had the Peking, just the roasted duck (which is darn good).  There are also several places in St. Paul on University.  

 

My cousin lives right off of University.....hmmm...   Thanks!

[delcecchi]

Sometimes diversity is good. 

[monstermoose78]

It would be my only hope, since I can neither catch a fly ball nor hit anything with a shotgun.  But a 22 or something with a scope, that I can do. 

 

Same for me