Looking for some Duck recipes

Hi all I have gotten a few ducks and am looking for a few different ways to cook them

I have breasted a few out and have kept a few hole

Do not be intimidated by this recipe dor Pan Seared Duck Breasts, it is by far my favorite http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/pan-seared-duck-breast/

I wrote this earlier in the season. Here is the link. http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...king-duck-help


I do 3 types of cooking when in the camper using ducks/geese. All are designed to kill the taste of meat and replace the flavours with fresh herbs, cream sauce, red wine sauce, coconut sauce. These are all served over a bed of cheap instant rice. I, like you am not particularly fond of the taste of duck or goose.

All 3 recipes start with a base to start flavor process:

Onions
Mushrooms
Garlic
Peppers
Veg

Fresh herbs, like basil, oregano, sage and thyme
Acid - Wine, lemons or limes

Sauce Base - Coconut milk, heavy cream or Canned milk, Wine, whiskey
Olive oil or butter (both usually)
Sugar - sugar, maple syrup, honey, corn syrup

Cooking process:

Oil and butter, salt and pepper
Caramelize onions - remove set aside
Fry off mushrooms - set aside
Par fry veg (means quick heating and not cooked thru, but browned on high heat) - remove set aside
High heat cook for sliced breast meat - remove.. don't over cook just sear

Add butter or oil as needed during this phase of cooking.

Once everything is cooked, I use the same pan with all that fried off goodness in it. Add your sauce base on high heat..it will clean the burnt bits of the bottom. Once you have scraped all that goodness off the bottom start adding sugar base to taste and reduce until consistency of pancake mix or milkshake. Constantly test for flavor of the base. Make sure you stir often to keep from burning. Too thick of base is ok as long as it does not burn. All your meat veg that has been sitting aside has juices and will help thin the sauce again. Having sauce too runny will only make it take longer to reduce again once the veg/meat are put back in.

Final prep - Place all the veg and meat back into pan and judge the consistency of sauce. Continue cooking on high heat to reduce again until consistency is sufficient to stick to rice.

At this point remove from heat and wait until bubbling stops.

No you are ready to add the best flavors that finish the meal. Add your chopped garlic, lemon and herbs at this point and stir in - taste and add more, or lemon or limes. This where you play with the finishing flavour.

NOTE: Never add the herbs, garlic or lemon until the end. If you cook during the process the intense flavor is cooked away, that is why you wait until end of bubbling process to add herbs and acids.

Serve over a bed of rice, crack some wine and enjoy.

I learned this technique from my buddy who is the Executive Chef at Chateau Laurier and he comes 2-3 time a duck season...that my friends is weekend you want to come. His meals are to die for.

I do all this on the propane two (2) burner stove in the truck camper

Enjoy!! Mark

Just go to "google " , type in "duck recipes " and you will find more than you could ever hope to use .

I've made this full recipe once, and a second time with just the duck.

Turned out really nice.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/d...nd-port-gravy/

I like the taste of wild duck, and I appreciate the subtle differences between the different species. Love woodies, but I'll pass on mergansers thanks. I don't really understand why folks would want to overpower/kill those flavours so you can't tell what you're eating, but to each their own of course. For me it's the same with game meat. I want to know I'm eating moose or venison or bear or small game by their flavours. Beef seems kinda bland to me now, that's what I use for pasta sauce or chili instead of game, specially bear, as I much prefer my ground game as burgers or meatloaf or even in a Pate Chinois. It's certainly not like I don't spice things up in cooking, I just consider it enhancement I guess.

Back to the OP, my wife's favorite way for me to do ducks is in the slow cooker. Onions, garlic and apple pieces in the peppered birds and a few extra around. Throw in a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme and add a bottle of beer. I've added red wine before too. The birds turn out so tender and moist you have to be careful lifting them out of the pot so they don't fall apart. Easy to strain the liquid, adjust seasonings and thicken for a gravy as well. As for those breasted ducks, you can make a great stock for a soup from the rest of the birds, simmer them slow, add a mire poix, some spices and you have unique taste to use, just for yourself, even if its only a smaller amount. It's all about quality

Btw Mark, seems like that recipe would be nice for goose, where you can get some decent thick slices of meat. Tks for sharing the chef's secret hehe. Must be a real treat when he visits. Btw how did you like the inclusion of sweetness to the recipe, don't think I've ever done that for waterfowl besides adding fruit? I would use maple syrup here for sure. Local and wood fired from the farm up the road. So good. I get my honey and eggs from him too. Can't beat it.

Cheers

How long do you toss them in the slow cooker?

The main thing about eating duck is not to over cook it. Once you over cook it, it changes the taste not in a good way.