What's the secret to cooking wild ducks?

Oldcountryboy · #1 12/09/13, 07:17 PM

Today I just happened to look out my back door window and saw about a hunnered ducks circuling around looking for a spot to land on the nearby creek way behind my house. About 3 hours later I went down to take a look at them. They surprized me cause they had swam about half way up the creek and caught me off guard as I was walking toward where I thought they had landed. But when they took flight, my gosh they were everywhere! I could have easily shot at least two, since I own a double barrel shotgun. But I didn't take the shotgun with me as the last time I shot a duck and cooked it, it didn't taste very good. Kind of muddy tasting.

When I was a kid growing up, every once in a while I would shoot a duck and my mom (who couldn't cook a duck either) would tell me to go take it to my aunt Mary, who lived just a walking distant away from us. My aunt would bake it and then invite me over for dinner and I would always enjoy eating it the way she fixed it. But I don't know how she cooked it so that it didn't have the muddy taste.

Anyone here cook duck?

AndrewOSpencer · #2 12/09/13, 07:45 PM

I sure can help. But instead of recipe, I'm going to talk theory and method. Then give you a link.

First, find out what kind of ducks you have.

"Diver" ducks. "Merganzers" etc all eat fish and meat so they tend to taste like low tide. I make sausage with these types of ducks. Skin'em, debone to get as much meat and heavily spice them for whatever kind of sausage you like. You can also brine them, but I bet they still taste fishy.

"Puddle Ducks" ducks which have been eating grains, acorns, duck weed, etc. are usually pretty good to eat. I pluck them. The skin has all the fat and plucking isn't so bad.

Really, just click this link because Hank Shaw has cooking wild fowl down to a science and his website is a fabulous source of information.

http://honest-food.net/wild-game/duck-goose-recipes/

I'm kind of weird. I think the gizzards are fabulous and I fry them up like chicken gizzards.

farmerDale · #3 12/09/13, 09:06 PM

Nothing like a fat, grain fed mallard in late fall. We just roast them.

jrieds · #4 12/09/13, 09:06 PM

I breast all my ducks...the biggest secret is to cook them to medium or medium/rare...People think you have to cook them well done like chicken, but really it's more like beef than it is chicken. Cook medium rare and you'll be in good shape. You can brine some of the divers in saltwater changing the water a couple times which can help. But when in doubt stick to puddle ducks if you're looking for good eating.

dkhern · #5 12/10/13, 06:16 AM

make dressing and put the duck pices in it and bake in the oven. when done take the dressing out and throw out the duck and eat the dreswsing.

Chuck R. · #6 12/10/13, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrieds

I breast all my ducks...the biggest secret is to cook them to medium or medium/rare...People think you have to cook them well done like chicken, but really it's more like beef than it is chicken. Cook medium rare and you'll be in good shape. You can brine some of the divers in saltwater changing the water a couple times which can help. But when in doubt stick to puddle ducks if you're looking for good eating.

This.....

Medium/medium rare, unless I'm using them for Gumbo. For the stronger tasting birds, marinating will help a bit. I haven't killed or eaten a merganser since my desperate college days when any meat was a welcome break from ramen noodles. Those we made "duck burgundy" with, and went heavy on the burgundy.

The one diver that is fantastic fare is the Canvasback, simply delicious due to their diet.

Chuck

AndrewOSpencer · #7 12/10/13, 07:19 PM

So are redheads. They eat great!

Oldcountryboy · #8 12/11/13, 08:15 PM

I think they're mallards. They have green heads and blue wing feathers.

Well today I decided to go shoot a couple. I dug my double barrel out of the closet and fumbled around for some high brass #8's and headed down to the creek. I snuck down to the first big hole of water and I could hear some quacking around quietly. I slowly creeped up till I finally spotted one quietly setting on the other side of the stream. A female. As I set their quietly a few others started swimming from my side of the creek toward the other side. Then I could see their was quite a few .

As I was watching them I thought how beautiful the males looked with their green heads and colorful bodies. Then suddenly they was on the alert and as I looked over toward the direction they was looking I noticed my little old squirrel dog heading their way. So I got ready to shoot and suddenly they took flight. I put the bead right on the lead male duck and swung with it. But I didn't shoot. I was intrigued by the beauty of their flight until it was too late to shoot.

I brought the shotgun back down by my side and watched them fly away. Then suddenly to my left another batch of ducks took flight and crossed right in front of me with a bit higher altitude then the first batch. I quickly took a bead on the lead duck again. But again, I didn't shoot. I just watched them fly away.

I guess I'm getting to be a softy or just not hungry enough. I don't know! I turned around, walked back up the hill to my house. Thought to myself, "I'll just go buy a whole chicken and roast it in my little toaster oven".

farmerDale · #9 12/11/13, 08:47 PM

Might be good you never shot if you had #8 shot. It is tiny and not entirely suitable for ducks, not much oomph per pellet, unless REAL close. #4 is more ducky. #5 will work. But on big old mallards, in thick winter plumage, I prefer #4's.

Cool story. I have swung on a lot of game without shooting. I am not positive why, but I think it is a maturity you reach as a hunter, where the experience is what you are there for. Not to mention it is easier to cook up a hot dog when you get home, rather than have to clean ducks! lol

AndrewOSpencer · #10 12/11/13, 09:10 PM

Nothing wrong with it if your hearts not in it. I just hope you scared them really bad and they decide to head way south, and maybe want to take a beach vacation by Saturday!

Oldcountryboy · #11 12/11/13, 09:56 PM

I want to eat a duck, but I want someone else to cook it. I don't know who tho! All the good cooks in my family have passed on.

AndrewOSpencer · #12 12/12/13, 06:50 AM

I understand. I was lamenting the fact last night I don't like eating the meats I've smoked all day long because I'm sick of the smoke. The next day is better, but sometimes the cooking process takes the joy out of the eating.

Pugnacious · #13 12/12/13, 01:18 PM

Just "breasting" birds is illegal almost every where and unethical. Also, you have to hunt waterfowl with non lead shot EVERYWHERE. It's a federal law. I doubt you #8 high brass you had laying around was anything but lead. Do you have a federal duck stamp?

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Chuck R. · #14 12/12/13, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pugnacious

Just "breasting" birds is illegal almost every where and unethical. Also, you have to hunt waterfowl with non lead shot EVERYWHERE. It's a federal law. I doubt you #8 high brass you had laying around was anything but lead. Do you have a federal duck stamp?

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Add state duck stamp, HIP card, and a plug limiting capacity to 3 rounds to that list. Since migratory birds come under FED jurisdiction, this is one area I wouldn't mess around in.

Chuck

Pops2 · #15 12/15/13, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pugnacious

Just "breasting" birds is illegal almost every where and unethical. Also, you have to hunt waterfowl with non lead shot EVERYWHERE. It's a federal law. I doubt you #8 high brass you had laying around was anything but lead. Do you have a federal duck stamp?

Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk

Bullcrap, breasting birds is NOT illegal. Game recovery laws only require you to recover the game & do not require you to eat the whole thing. Some states even allow you to breast them in the field as long as you have a fresh wing to go with each pair of breasts in the cooler.

Pugnacious · #16 12/15/13, 04:14 AM

Pops, it is illegal in a lot of places. I happen to know more than one person who have gotten tickets for it.

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Pops2 · #17 12/15/13, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pugnacious

Pops, it is illegal in a lot of places. I happen to know more than one person who have gotten tickets for it.

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Define a lot. I happen to have lived in 3 different states that specifically allow for breasting in the field. Nor can I think of a single state I've ever hunted in that prohibited breasting at home.