Duck

[anb]

Y'all probably know this, but wanted to post just incase. Lots of people say they don't like duck - too gamey tasting, greasy, etc. It just needs to be cooked right. Duck is supposed to be cooked rarer than poultry you buy at the grocery. Cook to an internal temp of about 135 F, not 170 F like other birds. The meat will be dark red, not brown. Brown is over-cooked and will taste really strong. Red - looks and tastes like prime rib! MMMMMMMMMMM!

[wems2371]

Thanks for the tip. I have 3 mallards in the freezer right now, and I would have overcooked them for sure, since I have never cooked duck before. Do you have a favorite recipe and do you do anything to prep the meat? Seems like I read somewhere about some folks soaking gamey type meats in milk overnight...can't remember what meats that pertained to though.

[ACooper]

I have several canvas backs in the freezer now, can you suggest any specific recipes for them?

[Coveyrise64]

I have several canvas backs in the freezer now, can you suggest any specific recipes for them?

Fajitas...... Filet the meat from the breast, cut into strips and marinate in Italian Dressing overnight. Skillet with a little cooking oil and brown the meat. Add red, green peppers, and onions. Sautee until the veggies are done, a few dozen flour tortillas and then hurt your self.

Coveyrise64

[birddog1968]

you might marinate the canvasback , mallards won't need it.

I like to use a rub on ducks and pan sear them. Whole ducks are really good in a turkey fryer.

[EnglishBob]

Curried duck is fantastic. Actually better than chicken, almost like lamb curry to me. The extra firmness and flavor are really beneficial when using duck in a curry.

Most Americans I know probably aren't too thrilled by the taste of a curry, but growing up in the UK it's a flavor of home to me

Phil

[anb]

I usually just roast them in the oven like a chicken or turkey. Salt the skin before you put it in the oven. We stuffed three mallards for Thanksgiving, they were delicious!

[ezzy333]

I've never cared much for duck but the one time it was really good it was cooked in an over bag with a cup or two of orange juice in the bag. Maybe it was just cooked better too I don't know but it was good.

Ezzy

[44magnum]

Do the same rules apply for cooking goose?

[ACooper]

So I gave the duck a shot.

Breasted four ducks. Soaked over night in salt water, marinated about an hour in soy marinade wrapped each piece of breast in a piece of bacon and grilled to medium. It was FANTASTIC! Even my girlfriend who isn't that fond of wild game liked it. It was very similar in texture to steak.

[snips]

My Mom could cook duck better than anyone I know...I remember they were best when you stuck the knife in and it squirted!

[ultracarry]

Ok so now that I have read this I will attempt to cook some of the ducks in my freezer. I usually give them to my brother in-law and he makes jerky.

So I have 6 cinnamon teal in the fridge. I'll let him make the redheads into jerky.

[birddog1968]

Ok so now that I have read this I will attempt to cook some of the ducks in my freezer. I usually give them to my brother in-law and he makes jerky.

So I have 6 cinnamon teal in the fridge. I'll let him make the redheads into jerky.

Teal...YUM !

I have been using a bourbon rub from cabelas lately and pan searing duck breasts in EVOO. The seasoning is Mountain Man Bourbon rub.

[Nathan&aspen]

Soaking in milk makes a world of difference

[jcalla4]

http://youtu.be/k9ISFa6ziQ4

[Double Shot Banks]

i like the "gamey" taste, when its cooked brown or dark red i love it all

[HUNT 24/7]

I like my ducks & goose cooked in the slow cooker pulled pork style, use a pulled pork marinade to cook in, leave it for the day. Sometimes I will take the meat out & pull it apart & put it back in for an hour or so. Very good!
Bacon wrapped duck or goose, cube breasted duck or goose meat, lay out a half piece of bacon, put duck/goose cube on bacon, add a piece of banana pepper & a piece of cream cheese. Roll it all up in the bacon, stick a tooth pick through it to hold it together, after baking I like to dip mine in Dianas BBQ sauce.

[quackwhacker]

I have eaten a lot of duck and goose using many different recipes. I have one recipe that is loved by everyone that tries it. Sweet and sour duck with peppers and onions over rice.

Cut the breasts into one inch chunks. Soak in milk with a few dashes of Tabasco. Over night is good but a couple hours will work. Strain the liquid and pat dry. Make a simple batter and deep fry. Toss them in your favorite sweet and sour or other sauce. Chunk the veges and cook them up. Serve over rice. Absolutely the best.

[quackwhacker]

Sweet and sour duck!

[magspa]

When soaking in milk, I heard that only buttermilk will tenderize the meat because it is more acidic..Do you use regular or buttermilk?

[tasi devil]

use yoghurt or buttermilk as a pre-marinade, not milk
I don't bother doing that with duck, but do occasionally with goose, hare, roo & venison.
I don't mind the gameiness, but my wifes not a fan of the stronger flavour.

cut breasts into schnitzels, pound them between some Gladwrap,
into a ziplock bag with Italian dressing, garlic, onion, an egg, some grated parmesan cheese,
coat with panko & fry in butter
...........tasi

[duckn66]

I have several canvas backs in the freezer now, can you suggest any specific recipes for them?

Fajitas...... Filet the meat from the breast, cut into strips and marinate in Italian Dressing overnight. Skillet with a little cooking oil and brown the meat. Add red, green peppers, and onions. Sautee until the veggies are done, a few dozen flour tortillas and then hurt your self.

Coveyrise64

I will second this! Only thing I do differently is grill them. Having that a grilled quail tomorrow. Can't wait!

If you cook duck to long it becomes tough, and strong tasting. Cooked medium it's delicious!

[magspa]

Just made some teal breast. aged in fridge since Sunday, soaked in milk a day, rinsed and patted dry, coated with olive oil and seasoned with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne, 400°X 10mins. It was really good, ill be targeting them more. Are other ducks this good?

[Bounty_Hunter]

I think ageing game birds for several days if possible is the way to go, ducks included and I like to eat them after aging because they just don't taste the same after they have been in the freezer even for short periods. Since there are so many different duck breeds what do You duck hunters put at the top of the list as far as taste goes?

[Mattaponikennels]

I brine my ducks in a water/salt/vinegar mix over night. Divers I'll soak in buttermilk for another 12 hours because they tend to have a stronger gamey taste. Then I'll put various dry rubs on them and let them season for another couple days and grill medium rare or smoke them. I eat 150-200 ducks a year and never have a problem with them tasting overly gamey.

[SHaRPS]

For anyone that debones their duck - I enjoy roasting the bones in the oven then tossing in a pot full of water, carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, and lovage. If you want a little heat add a few red pepper flakes towards the end. Makes a great dark soup which my family absolutely loves over noodles or potatoes.

[greg jacobs]

Thought we had a revival going with a bunch of the long lost members posting. Alas it's not to be.

We've cooked some terrible duck. If I could find a good recipe I could starting harvesting some ducks again!

[Warrior372]

I would strongly recommend Duck, Duck, Goose by Hank Shaw. It is a stash house of waterfowl recipes. I love cooking and also look Duck - this is hands down the best waterfowl cookbook I have found!

[birds]

For ducks the size of mallards
1) First pluck them - don't skin! They'll dry out
2) Rub with olive oil, season with salt/pepper. A little lemon in the cavity will take care of any strong taste there
3) Heat your oven or grill as hot as it will get - at least 550 degrees and higher is better
4) Place the bird in an uncovered pan (oven) or on the grill and cook for no more than 25 minutes. If you are using a grill you may need to turn the middle flame down or off after searing to keep the fat from flaring and burning the bird - Keep an eye on it and turn frequently.

The key is to cook HOT and FAST! Its easy!

[Sharon]

Thank you !!

[Makintrax73]

I had good luck making duck Pad Thai. Basically just sliced/chunked the meat, sauteed it, and added it to a decent quality grocery store Pad Thai kit. You know it's duck, but the noodles and sauce spread the flavor out a bit so its not so strong as straight duck.

[fishvik]

I've found that goldeneye, a duck most people avoid eating, is very tasty. I fillet the meat off the keel bone (sternum), skin them (usually need a knife to do most of it). I cut off the legs and skin them too. I then soak them in salt water for a day and then fresh water the next day. When I cook them I usually marinade them and grill them rare.

[birds]

I've had good golden eyes and bad golden eyes. The only Barrow's golden eye I ever shot (I wouldn't have shot it had I known it was Barrow's) was so nasty when I tried to grill it that I had to abort and throw it across the road. Some have been great though.

[NEhomer]

Ducks will always be more fun to shoot than to prep for cookin'!

...they certainly can be tasty but not tossed into a pan with no plan.

[fishvik]

I've had good golden eyes and bad golden eyes. The only Barrow's golden eye I ever shot (I wouldn't have shot it had I known it was Barrow's) was so nasty when I tried to grill it that I had to abort and throw it across the road. Some have been great though.

I've shot a lot of both species of goldeneye and not found much difference. The most important aspect of preparing the bird for cooking is make sure you remove the skin, fat and bones and then soak them in salt water to get the blood out, followed by soaking in plain water. I've also found cooking them rare, like I do all waterfowl, makes them far tastier. Then again I grew up on the coast of CT and am of Scandinavian descent so I kind of like fishy tasting things.

[birds]

Definitely agree about the rare cooking on waterfowl!