Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
--
Think beyond your assumptions.

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 12:49:19 -0400, Serendipity >
wrote:

>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

They will be dry and stringy if you treat them like chicken, or even
farm duck.

My inclination would be to remove the breast, which will be nearly all
the meat. Marinate, broil, and slice like a London Broil.

Roast the carcasses, and make stock from them. If you are feeloing
really ambitious, you could srip what meat you can from the drumsticks
and make them into sausage.

The stock will make splendid risotto (or farrotto, if you can get
farro perlato.) Especially with some wild mushrooms or dried porcini.





Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

>Serendipity >
>wrote:
>
>>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Um, "wild" is not a duck species... without knowing what kind of duck no one
can offer more than *wild* speculation.... we don't even know if you're talking
ducks whose habitat is sal****er, freshwater, or brackish. If you're expecting
something akin to chicken I seriously doubt you will be able to tolerate the
smell of, let alone eat, yuor hunter pal's ducks, especially not if they were
taken from sal****er. My wild speculation is that your hunter pal is offering
you those ducks for one reason and one reason only, because he would rather
those ducks end up in your trash can rather than his.... I bet shooting those
ducks made him feel like he'd no longer need a microscope to see his pecker.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

PENMART01 wrote:

>>Serendipity >
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>>>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>>>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>>>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>>>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>>>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>
>
> Um, "wild" is not a duck species... without knowing what kind of duck no one
> can offer more than *wild* speculation.... we don't even know if you're talking
> ducks whose habitat is sal****er, freshwater, or brackish. If you're expecting
> something akin to chicken I seriously doubt you will be able to tolerate the
> smell of, let alone eat, yuor hunter pal's ducks, especially not if they were
> taken from sal****er. My wild speculation is that your hunter pal is offering
> you those ducks for one reason and one reason only, because he would rather
> those ducks end up in your trash can rather than his.... I bet shooting those
> ducks made him feel like he'd no longer need a microscope to see his pecker.

Sorry, I wasn't thinking. The ducks are freshwater ducks, most likely
mallard. There may be another freshwater duck in the mix but I think
mallard will be the majority. Hunter friend is repaying a debt so to
speak. He ate from our garden, we get free ducks. We've known him for
awhile. He is a real pleasant and honest bloke. He brought us
whitefish a few weeks back. Now that was very good fish!
>
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> *********
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
> Sheldon
> ````````````


--
Think beyond your assumptions.

PENMART01 wrote:

>>Serendipity >
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>>>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>>>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>>>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>>>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>>>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>
>
> Um, "wild" is not a duck species... without knowing what kind of duck no one
> can offer more than *wild* speculation.... we don't even know if you're talking
> ducks whose habitat is sal****er, freshwater, or brackish. If you're expecting
> something akin to chicken I seriously doubt you will be able to tolerate the
> smell of, let alone eat, yuor hunter pal's ducks, especially not if they were
> taken from sal****er. My wild speculation is that your hunter pal is offering
> you those ducks for one reason and one reason only, because he would rather
> those ducks end up in your trash can rather than his.... I bet shooting those
> ducks made him feel like he'd no longer need a microscope to see his pecker.

Sorry, I wasn't thinking. The ducks are freshwater ducks, most likely
mallard. There may be another freshwater duck in the mix but I think
mallard will be the majority. Hunter friend is repaying a debt so to
speak. He ate from our garden, we get free ducks. We've known him for
awhile. He is a real pleasant and honest bloke. He brought us
whitefish a few weeks back. Now that was very good fish!
>
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> *********
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
> Sheldon
> ````````````


--
Think beyond your assumptions.

>Serendipity >
>wrote:
>
>>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Um, "wild" is not a duck species... without knowing what kind of duck no one
can offer more than *wild* speculation.... we don't even know if you're talking
ducks whose habitat is sal****er, freshwater, or brackish. If you're expecting
something akin to chicken I seriously doubt you will be able to tolerate the
smell of, let alone eat, yuor hunter pal's ducks, especially not if they were
taken from sal****er. My wild speculation is that your hunter pal is offering
you those ducks for one reason and one reason only, because he would rather
those ducks end up in your trash can rather than his.... I bet shooting those
ducks made him feel like he'd no longer need a microscope to see his pecker.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Serendipity > wrote:

> Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Good-quality wild ducks, no matter what kind, are great if cooked right.
You can just simply roast them in hot oven, for example. Wild ducks,
being water fowl, have a layer of fat under the skin, but their meat is
fairly dry, so don't prick the skin to let the fat run out. You won't
have to baste them during cooking. How long to roast them depends on
their weight, which can range from about 1.5 kg/3.3 lbs (large mallard)
to 700 g/1.5 lbs (widgeon) to 400 g/1 lb (teal).

Or try something a bit more elaborate, like this wonderful Scottish
recipe from the October 1987 issue of Decanter. The recipe and comments
are by Jill Cox, the wine suggestions are by David Sheppard (notice that
the vintages mentioned correspond to the time of the publication). My
own comments: I would be very wary of hanging the ducks for as long as a
week, as suggested in the recipe, though this indeed used to be
traditional. Their fat may well go rancid during such a long time. I
would serve the ducks with sautéed wild mushrooms and some kind of
potatoes, or perhaps with wild rice or a mixture of wild and real rice.

Victor

Duck Dundee

Wild duck should be hung for a week before cooking. This is
paper-wrapped wild duck flavoured with garlic and peach slices soaked in
whisky, cooked slowly in its own juices.
Use fresh peaches if possible, or tinned white peaches. Sprouting
garlic may not be available, so substitute spring onions and garlic
cloves.
Serves 4

4 tbsp whisky
4 peaches, peeled, stoned and sliced
3 cloves sprouted garlic or 1 clove garlic and 2 spring onions
salt and fresh ground black pepper
half a lemon
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp pink, green and white peppercorns
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Pour whisky over peach slices and leave for 2 hours while duck is being
prepared. Sauté garlic or onion in oil for 1 minute.
Remove any fat from duck cavity, season inside and insert half a
lemon. Rub salt and lemon juice into the skin. Brown on all sides in
oil. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Place duck in centre of a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Tuck
whisky soaked peach slices around bird, sprinkle over peppercorns,
parsley, garlic, and season with black pepper.
Enclose in greaseproof paper, screwing ends tightly secure. Place on
a trivet in a deep-lidded ovenproof dish with water in the base of the
dish.
Cover and cook (325°F/160°C/Gas 3) for about 2 hours, or until meat
is tender and juices run clear.

Suggested wines: Be careful with the flavour mix of the Duck Dundee.
Try the new softer-style Barolos. Or from Australia, a Coonawarra
Cabernet Sauvignon or a Victorian (Western District) Shiraz. I
recommend the Taltarni Shiraz 1982. Alternatively try a good Rioja such
as Contino. For the adventurous, another possibility would be a full,
oaky Australian Chardonnay.

Victor wrote:

> Or try something a bit more elaborate, like this wonderful Scottish
> recipe from the October 1987 issue of Decanter.
<snip>
> This is paper-wrapped wild duck flavoured with garlic and peach slices
> soaked in whisky, cooked slowly in its own juices.
> Use fresh peaches if possible, or tinned white peaches. Sprouting
> garlic may not be available, so substitute spring onions and garlic
> cloves.

I note that "duck" is left out of the list of ingredients, but I assume the
recipe was for wild duck. But that begs the following question: Since fresh
peaches are available pretty much only in the summer, is summer duck-hunting
allowed in Scotland?

(Of course, if you use farm-raised duck, you can cook the dish in the
summertime when fresh peaches are plentiful.)

Bob

Bob > wrote:

> Victor wrote:
>
> > Or try something a bit more elaborate, like this wonderful Scottish
> > recipe from the October 1987 issue of Decanter.
> <snip>
> > This is paper-wrapped wild duck flavoured with garlic and peach slices
> > soaked in whisky, cooked slowly in its own juices.
> > Use fresh peaches if possible, or tinned white peaches. Sprouting
> > garlic may not be available, so substitute spring onions and garlic
> > cloves.
>
> I note that "duck" is left out of the list of ingredients, but I assume the
> recipe was for wild duck.

Sure.

> But that begs the following question: Since fresh
> peaches are available pretty much only in the summer, is summer duck-hunting
> allowed in Scotland?

Well, I can find fresh peaches in the local supermarkets and on the
market right now. It is likely to be little different in Scotland.
There are late-ripening peach varieties available throughout October and
even in November. Besides, peaches are also imported from the southern
hemisphere and may be available throughout the year, depending on your
markets/supermarkets. As to the duck-shooting season in Scotland, it
starts on 1st September.

Victor

Bob > wrote:

> Victor wrote:
>
> > Or try something a bit more elaborate, like this wonderful Scottish
> > recipe from the October 1987 issue of Decanter.
> <snip>
> > This is paper-wrapped wild duck flavoured with garlic and peach slices
> > soaked in whisky, cooked slowly in its own juices.
> > Use fresh peaches if possible, or tinned white peaches. Sprouting
> > garlic may not be available, so substitute spring onions and garlic
> > cloves.
>
> I note that "duck" is left out of the list of ingredients, but I assume the
> recipe was for wild duck.

Sure.

> But that begs the following question: Since fresh
> peaches are available pretty much only in the summer, is summer duck-hunting
> allowed in Scotland?

Well, I can find fresh peaches in the local supermarkets and on the
market right now. It is likely to be little different in Scotland.
There are late-ripening peach varieties available throughout October and
even in November. Besides, peaches are also imported from the southern
hemisphere and may be available throughout the year, depending on your
markets/supermarkets. As to the duck-shooting season in Scotland, it
starts on 1st September.

Victor

Victor Sack wrote:

> Serendipity > wrote:
>
>
>> Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>
>
> Good-quality wild ducks, no matter what kind, are great if cooked right.
> You can just simply roast them in hot oven, for example. Wild ducks,
> being water fowl, have a layer of fat under the skin, but their meat is
> fairly dry, so don't prick the skin to let the fat run out. You won't
> have to baste them during cooking. How long to roast them depends on
> their weight, which can range from about 1.5 kg/3.3 lbs (large mallard)
> to 700 g/1.5 lbs (widgeon) to 400 g/1 lb (teal).
Thanks for the tips and recipe. Much appreciated!

--
Think beyond your assumptions.

Victor wrote:

> Or try something a bit more elaborate, like this wonderful Scottish
> recipe from the October 1987 issue of Decanter.
<snip>
> This is paper-wrapped wild duck flavoured with garlic and peach slices
> soaked in whisky, cooked slowly in its own juices.
> Use fresh peaches if possible, or tinned white peaches. Sprouting
> garlic may not be available, so substitute spring onions and garlic
> cloves.

I note that "duck" is left out of the list of ingredients, but I assume the
recipe was for wild duck. But that begs the following question: Since fresh
peaches are available pretty much only in the summer, is summer duck-hunting
allowed in Scotland?

(Of course, if you use farm-raised duck, you can cook the dish in the
summertime when fresh peaches are plentiful.)

Bob

Serendipity > wrote in message >...
(snip)

Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
> several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Wild duck is VERY lean and will dry out fast if you roast it. If you
want to cook them whole (best for little ducks like teal) stick a
piece of apple and a piece of onion inside, wrap the duck in a couple
of slices of bacon and roast it in a covered casserole with some red
wine.

Bigger ducks, like mallards and canvasbacks) are really good
disjointed (like chicken) and braised sloooooooooooooooooooooowly in
red wine with aromatic vegetables. I think it's better to skin ducks
than pluck them. Wild duck skin is not a real treat (like Peking duck)

A#1 best side dish for duck is anything with wild rice.

Lynn from Fargo

Lynn Gifford wrote:

> Serendipity > wrote in message >...
> (snip)
>
> Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>
>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>
>
> Wild duck is VERY lean and will dry out fast if you roast it. If you
> want to cook them whole (best for little ducks like teal) stick a
> piece of apple and a piece of onion inside, wrap the duck in a couple
> of slices of bacon and roast it in a covered casserole with some red
> wine.
>
> Bigger ducks, like mallards and canvasbacks) are really good
> disjointed (like chicken) and braised sloooooooooooooooooooooowly in
> red wine with aromatic vegetables. I think it's better to skin ducks
> than pluck them. Wild duck skin is not a real treat (like Peking duck)
>
> A#1 best side dish for duck is anything with wild rice.

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhh! Sounds very good! Thanks.
>
> Lynn from Fargo


--
Think beyond your assumptions.

Lynn Gifford wrote:

> Serendipity > wrote in message >...
> (snip)
>
> Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>
>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>
>
> Wild duck is VERY lean and will dry out fast if you roast it. If you
> want to cook them whole (best for little ducks like teal) stick a
> piece of apple and a piece of onion inside, wrap the duck in a couple
> of slices of bacon and roast it in a covered casserole with some red
> wine.
>
> Bigger ducks, like mallards and canvasbacks) are really good
> disjointed (like chicken) and braised sloooooooooooooooooooooowly in
> red wine with aromatic vegetables. I think it's better to skin ducks
> than pluck them. Wild duck skin is not a real treat (like Peking duck)
>
> A#1 best side dish for duck is anything with wild rice.

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhh! Sounds very good! Thanks.
>
> Lynn from Fargo


--
Think beyond your assumptions.

"Serendipity" > wrote in message
...
> Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
> releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
> time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
> orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
> that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
> improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
> several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
> --
> Think beyond your assumptions.

Ok, this is probably going to draw boo's and hiss's from the crowd, but...

My dad is an avid duck hunter. After several years of trying out different
things, my Mom came up with duck nuggets. Basically, chop the breast into
nugget-sized pieces and bread and fry like chicken. She usually puts some
onion in when she's frying the pieces.... Not the fanciest recipie, but
it's one of my favorite comfort foods.

DRB

DRB wrote:

> "Serendipity" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>>--
>>Think beyond your assumptions.
>
>
> Ok, this is probably going to draw boo's and hiss's from the crowd, but...
>
> My dad is an avid duck hunter. After several years of trying out different
> things, my Mom came up with duck nuggets. Basically, chop the breast into
> nugget-sized pieces and bread and fry like chicken. She usually puts some
> onion in when she's frying the pieces.... Not the fanciest recipie, but
> it's one of my favorite comfort foods.

Neat idea. Does she put a breading or coating on it?
>
> DRB
>
>


--
Think beyond your assumptions.

"Serendipity" > wrote in message
...
> DRB wrote:
>
> > things, my Mom came up with duck nuggets. Basically, chop the breast
into
> > nugget-sized pieces and bread and fry like chicken. She usually puts
some
> > onion in when she's frying the pieces.... Not the fanciest recipie, but
> > it's one of my favorite comfort foods.
>
> Neat idea. Does she put a breading or coating on it?

She does an egg wash then breads them in all-purpose flour with seasoned
salt mixed in (although, you could substitute whatever spices you like). I
have no clue on the proportions since it's a just an eye balling it thing...
She's never measured, and I don't measure either...

DRB

"Serendipity" > wrote in message
...
> DRB wrote:
>
> > things, my Mom came up with duck nuggets. Basically, chop the breast
into
> > nugget-sized pieces and bread and fry like chicken. She usually puts
some
> > onion in when she's frying the pieces.... Not the fanciest recipie, but
> > it's one of my favorite comfort foods.
>
> Neat idea. Does she put a breading or coating on it?

She does an egg wash then breads them in all-purpose flour with seasoned
salt mixed in (although, you could substitute whatever spices you like). I
have no clue on the proportions since it's a just an eye balling it thing...
She's never measured, and I don't measure either...

DRB

DRB wrote:

> "Serendipity" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
>> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
>>--
>>Think beyond your assumptions.
>
>
> Ok, this is probably going to draw boo's and hiss's from the crowd, but...
>
> My dad is an avid duck hunter. After several years of trying out different
> things, my Mom came up with duck nuggets. Basically, chop the breast into
> nugget-sized pieces and bread and fry like chicken. She usually puts some
> onion in when she's frying the pieces.... Not the fanciest recipie, but
> it's one of my favorite comfort foods.

Neat idea. Does she put a breading or coating on it?
>
> DRB
>
>


--
Think beyond your assumptions.

In article >, Serendipity
> wrote:

> Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
> releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
> time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
> orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
> that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
> improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
> several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Like most wild game, duck flavor varies dramatically based on it's diet
and local. A Mallard that is shot in a Canadian barley field might as
well be a different species than one that is shot in a southern
California salt marsh. Treated and cooked to their strengths both can
be quite good. The same can be said for venison although with larger
game how it was treated directly after killing is even more important.
Field dressing and cooling the carcass and quickly as well as great
care in buthering makes a big difference.

There is little more satisfying, certainly more so for us suburbanites,
than the sporting and ethical taking of game, preparing it properly and
combining it with veggies from one's own garden.

I have over a dozen game cookbooks on the shelf and cannot recommend
any more highly than "Cooking WIld in Kate's kitchen" by Kate Fiduccia.
Everything we've cooked has been great.

As someone else suggested, Wild rice is excellent as a side dish for
any game. I make a Wild rice stuffing that includes, some sweet italian
sausage. toasted pine nuts, cooked onion and golden raisins soaked in
Cognac. I'll leave the proportions up to you. It's good enough that my
wife will go to the effort to pick the raisons out.

Allen

I have always had success with this method of cooking wild duck.

Prick the breast a few times to release the extra fat. Stuff duck with pieces
of onion, orange with peel and celery. (This is just for flavor, and should be
thrown away before serving.) Surface of duck can be rubbed with lemon juice
and onion. I hope you enjoy it.

I have always had success with this method of cooking wild duck.

Prick the breast a few times to release the extra fat. Stuff duck with pieces
of onion, orange with peel and celery. (This is just for flavor, and should be
thrown away before serving.) Surface of duck can be rubbed with lemon juice
and onion. I hope you enjoy it.

Serendipity > wrote in message >...
(snip)

Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
> several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Wild duck is VERY lean and will dry out fast if you roast it. If you
want to cook them whole (best for little ducks like teal) stick a
piece of apple and a piece of onion inside, wrap the duck in a couple
of slices of bacon and roast it in a covered casserole with some red
wine.

Bigger ducks, like mallards and canvasbacks) are really good
disjointed (like chicken) and braised sloooooooooooooooooooooowly in
red wine with aromatic vegetables. I think it's better to skin ducks
than pluck them. Wild duck skin is not a real treat (like Peking duck)

A#1 best side dish for duck is anything with wild rice.

Lynn from Fargo

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 12:49:19 -0400, Serendipity >
wrote:

>Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
>releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
>time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
>orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
>that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
>improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
>several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
>them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

They will be dry and stringy if you treat them like chicken, or even
farm duck.

My inclination would be to remove the breast, which will be nearly all
the meat. Marinate, broil, and slice like a London Broil.

Roast the carcasses, and make stock from them. If you are feeloing
really ambitious, you could srip what meat you can from the drumsticks
and make them into sausage.

The stock will make splendid risotto (or farrotto, if you can get
farro perlato.) Especially with some wild mushrooms or dried porcini.





Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

"Serendipity" > wrote in message
...
> Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
> releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
> time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
> orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
> that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
> improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
> several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?
> --
> Think beyond your assumptions.

Ok, this is probably going to draw boo's and hiss's from the crowd, but...

My dad is an avid duck hunter. After several years of trying out different
things, my Mom came up with duck nuggets. Basically, chop the breast into
nugget-sized pieces and bread and fry like chicken. She usually puts some
onion in when she's frying the pieces.... Not the fanciest recipie, but
it's one of my favorite comfort foods.

DRB

In article >, Serendipity
> wrote:

> Hi, new poster here. I love to cook and use cooking as a stress
> releasor Today, my question is about cooking wild duck. The last
> time I cooked duck of any kind was as a new bride cooking duck a la
> orange. It went horribly wrong and I haven't tried again even though
> that was well over 20 years ago and my cooking skills have greatly
> improved. Hunting season is upon us and a friend of ours is bringing us
> several wild ducks as repayment for the produce he got from our gardens.
> How do I cook these? Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Like most wild game, duck flavor varies dramatically based on it's diet
and local. A Mallard that is shot in a Canadian barley field might as
well be a different species than one that is shot in a southern
California salt marsh. Treated and cooked to their strengths both can
be quite good. The same can be said for venison although with larger
game how it was treated directly after killing is even more important.
Field dressing and cooling the carcass and quickly as well as great
care in buthering makes a big difference.

There is little more satisfying, certainly more so for us suburbanites,
than the sporting and ethical taking of game, preparing it properly and
combining it with veggies from one's own garden.

I have over a dozen game cookbooks on the shelf and cannot recommend
any more highly than "Cooking WIld in Kate's kitchen" by Kate Fiduccia.
Everything we've cooked has been great.

As someone else suggested, Wild rice is excellent as a side dish for
any game. I make a Wild rice stuffing that includes, some sweet italian
sausage. toasted pine nuts, cooked onion and golden raisins soaked in
Cognac. I'll leave the proportions up to you. It's good enough that my
wife will go to the effort to pick the raisons out.

Allen

Serendipity > wrote:

> Do I have to do anything special or can I roast
> them like chicken? What about spices? What goes best with wild duck?

Good-quality wild ducks, no matter what kind, are great if cooked right.
You can just simply roast them in hot oven, for example. Wild ducks,
being water fowl, have a layer of fat under the skin, but their meat is
fairly dry, so don't prick the skin to let the fat run out. You won't
have to baste them during cooking. How long to roast them depends on
their weight, which can range from about 1.5 kg/3.3 lbs (large mallard)
to 700 g/1.5 lbs (widgeon) to 400 g/1 lb (teal).

Or try something a bit more elaborate, like this wonderful Scottish
recipe from the October 1987 issue of Decanter. The recipe and comments
are by Jill Cox, the wine suggestions are by David Sheppard (notice that
the vintages mentioned correspond to the time of the publication). My
own comments: I would be very wary of hanging the ducks for as long as a
week, as suggested in the recipe, though this indeed used to be
traditional. Their fat may well go rancid during such a long time. I
would serve the ducks with sautéed wild mushrooms and some kind of
potatoes, or perhaps with wild rice or a mixture of wild and real rice.

Victor

Duck Dundee

Wild duck should be hung for a week before cooking. This is
paper-wrapped wild duck flavoured with garlic and peach slices soaked in
whisky, cooked slowly in its own juices.
Use fresh peaches if possible, or tinned white peaches. Sprouting
garlic may not be available, so substitute spring onions and garlic
cloves.
Serves 4

4 tbsp whisky
4 peaches, peeled, stoned and sliced
3 cloves sprouted garlic or 1 clove garlic and 2 spring onions
salt and fresh ground black pepper
half a lemon
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp pink, green and white peppercorns
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Pour whisky over peach slices and leave for 2 hours while duck is being
prepared. Sauté garlic or onion in oil for 1 minute.
Remove any fat from duck cavity, season inside and insert half a
lemon. Rub salt and lemon juice into the skin. Brown on all sides in
oil. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Place duck in centre of a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Tuck
whisky soaked peach slices around bird, sprinkle over peppercorns,
parsley, garlic, and season with black pepper.
Enclose in greaseproof paper, screwing ends tightly secure. Place on
a trivet in a deep-lidded ovenproof dish with water in the base of the
dish.
Cover and cook (325°F/160°C/Gas 3) for about 2 hours, or until meat
is tender and juices run clear.

Suggested wines: Be careful with the flavour mix of the Duck Dundee.
Try the new softer-style Barolos. Or from Australia, a Coonawarra
Cabernet Sauvignon or a Victorian (Western District) Shiraz. I
recommend the Taltarni Shiraz 1982. Alternatively try a good Rioja such
as Contino. For the adventurous, another possibility would be a full,
oaky Australian Chardonnay.