duck hunting

One of my favourite meals is a nice plucked, roasted, cornfed mallard. First one of the year is all mine and I only use my fingers, no silverwear....tastes even better.

DF:D
 
I'm with ya. Nothing like duck spinning on the roticery. Not much meat on the rest of the buzzard, but the fat from the skin soaked into the back and "popes nose", and the crispy skin makes my mouth water (and my arteries clot)
 
Cans, Reds & grain/corn-fed mallards are worth pickin' ( at least a few a year) but for the most part, if you're gunnin' and eatin' as you go, breasting them out is more efficient.
 
Anyone wax their ducks? I rough pluck the nice prime ones at the marsh. Cut the head wings and feet off at home. Take a coffee can and fill it about 3/4's full of boiling water. Drop a couple small cakes of parafin wax into the water where it melts and floats on the surface. Dip the plucked bird into the hot water as the wax sticks to the duck skin. Let the wax on the carcass cool and peel off like peeling an orange. The wax removes all the down and odd feathers leaving a totally clean bird with no singing needed.

Try this guys and you will find plucking duck much faster and more pleasant.
 
Impala got it going on, late season its a shame to just cut the breasts out. Roast Duck is awesome if done right. If pins are all over the bird , skin it.
Pintail , and teal are the best eating my opinion. :D
Anyone wax their ducks
Click to expand...
Tried it, a pain. I like the old flat piece of steel in the wood stove :D
 
Dressed prime birds are A-OK when roasted quickly in a hot oven to not more than med. rare. Marinated/breasted birds are also top-drawer when done on the BBQ. All depends on how you like them. As for the legs... save-em & learn the to prepare a classic "confit" - ( French cuisine ... look it up & learn how to do it, it's worth it ! ) Even chunks of breasted birds, marinated in something like "Dale's" sauce ( or even Teryaki sauce) , wrapped in bacon & BBQ'd , then topped with a slice of water chesnut or a dollop of red pepper jelly are hard to ignore.

Then again ... each to his (or her ) own. Some might prefer stir-fried merganser or coot stew !
 
Berreta boy, this "confit" do you use skinned legs? Love to cook (firefighter) and as this recipe looked interesting as quite ethnic.

I breast out early season birds, most often scrawny and covered with pin feathers. Don't shoot much early anymore as I've taken my share of ducks. Like to get them late as nice and prime. My hunting pal and I took limits of Cans and redheads (4 daily in Manitoba) this past friday and saturday. Can tell ya that not too many of those got breasted... only the ones that were badly shot up.

As for the merganser stew... think I'll pass!
 
Merganser Stew ... me too ( PASS ) - but some say it's "O.K." ( Maybe they like boiled owl too, who knows ! )

Best to Google or do a Microsoft search of " Duck Confit" on the net. You'll get a better definition and far more background & recipes than I can provide.

Generally it's skinned legs/thighs.

Unfortunately, in one sense, a wild duck/goose does not have a lot of fat on it, and confit is basically a means of slow cooking birds in their own fat.
Fortunately, however, domestic ducks & geese have far more fat than is needed ... what's best is ... do a domestic roast ... draining & reserving the fat for use in a confit later.

This is a very classic ( prominent entree in a haute cuisine Restaurant ) and absolutely delicious French dish ... and definitely NOT for the cholesterol concious. As a bit of a bonus, potatoes ( home fries) are simply unbelievable when done in duck fat. This is probably something best done only once or twice in a month for special occassions. And I'm not so sure I'd be willing to share with the guys in the hall ... even if you are good buddies. Wild game is only for those who really appreciate it (and are willing to go collect it !!! )

Bon appetite mon ami
 
Model 12 Firefighter ....

Seein' how you're a Winterpegger, try La Vielle Gare on rue des Meurons
( you know where), Mirlycurtois on Princess St. or Provence Bistro on Niakwa Rd. ... wouldn't be too surprised to find it on a menu at any one of these.
Try it "out" first before you get into a lot of fuss & prep....

Regards... BB (and a Model 12/21 fan)
 
A few years back I plucked 12 Teal(mine and a friend`s limits) for a wildlife dinner I was making. It was a "presentation" thing. They sure looked cute on the dinner plates. Won`t do it again though.

DF:D
 
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