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Duck

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:28 am
by 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:32 pm
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:07 pm
by ACooper
I have several canvas backs in the freezer now, can you suggest any specific recipes for them?

Re: Duck

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:37 am
by Coveyrise64
ACooper wrote:I have several canvas backs in the freezer now, can you suggest any specific recipes for them?
Fajitas...... :mrgreen: 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

Re: Duck

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:54 am
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 11:07 am
by 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 :D

Phil

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 5:39 pm
by 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 6:02 pm
by 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

Re: Duck

Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:13 pm
by 44magnum
Do the same rules apply for cooking goose?

Re: Duck

Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:37 pm
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:21 pm
by 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:30 pm
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:42 pm
by birddog1968
ultracarry wrote: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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:06 pm
by Nathan&aspen
Soaking in milk makes a world of difference

Re: Duck

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:14 pm
by jcalla4

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:28 pm
by Double Shot Banks
i like the "gamey" taste, when its cooked brown or dark red i love it all

Re: Duck

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 4:15 pm
by 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.

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:13 am
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:16 am
by quackwhacker
Sweet and sour duck!

Re: Duck

Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:54 pm
by 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?

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 6:18 am
by 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

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:09 am
by duckn66
Coveyrise64 wrote:
ACooper wrote:I have several canvas backs in the freezer now, can you suggest any specific recipes for them?
Fajitas...... :mrgreen: 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 1:19 pm
by 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?

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 1:42 pm
by 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?

Re: Duck

Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:22 am
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 8:30 am
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:32 pm
by 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 3:46 pm
by 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2018 1:56 pm
by 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!

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2018 6:17 pm
by Sharon
Thank you !!

Re: Duck

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:57 pm
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 8:57 am
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:35 pm
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 6:41 pm
by 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.

Re: Duck

Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 11:03 am
by fishvik
birds wrote:
Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:35 pm
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. :D :D

Re: Duck

Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 2:17 pm
by birds
Definitely agree about the rare cooking on waterfowl!