Cooking duck help

Hey everyone I just came to terms with my self and realize I can't take the taste of duck. Im always in the search of new ways to cook these things to hide the taste and make it more palatable. I found a few recipes over the years that came out good but the next time I try it out, it never comes out the same. What can I do to take away the duck taste. I always brine the duck first when I clean them and take away all blood and silver skin, then marinate for a couple of days. When I cook them its almost medium to medium rare, What else can I do. I enjoy hunting waterfowl so I want to enjoy eating them as well. PLEASE HELP

What species of duck are you trying most often? I find mallards, blacks and teal all very tasty. My favourite way to prepare them is pan frying the breast meat skin on with salt and pepper. No more than medium rare. The legs I save and do them up in batches, cooked on the BBQ with Montreal chicken spice seasoning and basted with a honey based BBQ sauce. Served up like a plate of chicken wings.

Other species of duck like woodies and a lot of divers usually wind up in pepperettes or sausage and as find their meat less desirable.

I know your pain. I love diver duck hunting but don't do it anymore because I don't enjoy the meat.

Good luck in your quest.

Scott




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Originally Posted by soclarke

What species of duck are you trying most often? I find mallards, blacks and teal all very tasty. My favourite way to prepare them is pan frying the breast meat skin on with salt and pepper. No more than medium rare. The legs I save and do them up in batches, cooked on the BBQ with Montreal chicken spice seasoning and basted with a honey based BBQ sauce. Served up like a plate of chicken wings.

Other species of duck like woodies and a lot of divers usually wind up in pepperettes or sausage and as find their meat less desirable.

I know your pain. I love diver duck hunting but don't do it anymore because I don't enjoy the meat.

Good luck in your quest.

Scott




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I usually hunt woodies,teal, mallards, the odd black duck and geese. Thanks for some suggestions

I like to soak mine in a mix of apple cider vinegar and any kind of acidic fruit juice for 4-6 hours in the fridge it takes the gamey out salt pepper and fry in olive oil to a medium


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Originally Posted by Radartrap

I like to soak mine in a mix of apple cider vinegar and any kind of acidic fruit juice for 4-6 hours in the fridge it takes the gamey out salt pepper and fry in olive oil to a medium


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Sounds simple thanks

wrap them in bacon, everything is good with bacon lol

Soak the meat in milk in the fridge. Drain and change the milk every 3 hours ( 2 X) then let soak overnight. This will help to draw the blood, which gives you the strong taste. Cut the meat into strips and put in a slow cooker. Cover the meat with whatever BBQ sauce you like and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve on a bun like you would pulled pork. You can add pineapple chunks for a little sweetness.A buddy of mine felt the same way about duck meat and now looks forward to eating them.

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Originally Posted by Campbery

wrap them in bacon, everything is good with bacon lol

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So true!

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

The only other thing I will add is Diver ducks Teal/Buffel Head. To me they taste like liver and onions...so I cook that way. Caramelize onions, garlic until done. add meat and fry until just cooked. anymore than that it rubbery or dried out.

Enjoy Mark!