WILD DUCK RECIPES

Did you know that nearly all of the breeds of duck that we find today can be traced back to the mallard? There is only one bird that isn't a descendant of the mallard and that is the Muscovy duck. This is a large heavy bird that roasts in trees and can be found in Central and South America.

Duck eggs are larger and richer than chicken eggs, and they are very popular among chefs. Now there ducks that were bred to lay as many eggs as the best chicken. Now on to my duck recipes, and you will learn easily how to cook duck perfect every time.

These duck recipes are for the puddle jumpers; like mallards, teal, and wood ducks. They also include the divers; like canvas backs and red heads.

Does wild duck taste like chicken? No. Duck is known for its rich, dark meat and when prepared properly - is even more flavorful than chicken. The skin of the duck crisps easily; chicken skin not so. Sadly home cooks shy away from cooking duck because of it's fatty reputation. Any water fowl birds need the fat on their bodies for protection in the wild.

Roasting a whole duck can be problematic; by the time the legs are done the breast is overcooked and dry. The easy solution when making a wild duck recipe, is to quarter the duck and then assemble in the dish.

My Fish Recipes and Wild Game/Game Bird Recipes are featured on the Outdoor Channel. Check it out now!

Pull the wings away from the body and cut off at the second joint. Find the natural seam between the legs and the breast and while pulling on the leg, cut through the joint.

Now find the natural seam down the birds back and cut into the breast meat until you hit bone. Make a long cut on one side of the backbone and at an angle, remove the breast meat. Repeat on the other side. Now you will have two legs and two breasts. Discard the carcass of the bird unless you want to make stock.

To prepare the meat when prepping for a duck recipe, score the skin ONLY in a criss-cross pattern which allows the fat to render out when cooking. Clean the legs and trim any excess skin or fat.

The duck breasts are not as flavorful as the legs, but when prepared this way you will have mild meat to to go along with the rich leg meat. The key here again is to score the breast which produces a crispy skin with less fat.

I believe that game birds are the the most delicious wild meat, and the key to this is that prepping the bird is as important as how you cook the bird.

Hunters: Take care of the bird as soon as you've bagged it.

So after you shoot your bird it should be field dressed right away. You have to cool that meat immediately so when it's cooked (using one of my duck recipes)the flavor is the best you can get.

Now here are some of my favorite duck recipes...

SIMPLE SAUTEED DUCK BREASTS

Ingredients

2 duck breasts
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Score the skin in a criss-cross pattern and do NOT cut into the meat. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and when it is hot add the breast; skin side down. You do not need fat in the pan because the duck itself has enough fat to saute it properly.

Once the meat is golden brown, reduce the heat and SLOWLY cook. I remove the excess fat by holding the breast down with a fork and pouring the fat into a bowl. Cook for 10-12 minutes; turn and cook another 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat and serve.



I marinate the duck in the seasonings overnight before I roast it. So crispy and delicious!

ROAST DUCK RECIPE WITH GRAVY

Ingredients

5 lb duck
4 TBS homemade soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS white sugar
4 TBS honey
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS ginger
2 TBS orange juice
green onions

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and spray a roasting pan with vegetable oil.

In a bowl whisk the soy sauce, minced garlic, sugar, honey, ginger, orange juice, salt and pepper. Brush the marinade over the entire duck and place the duck in a large resealable bag. Remove the air and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Place the duck on the rack in the roasting pan and put the green onions in the cavity of the bird. Bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, basting every 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince and brown the giblets and retrieve some of the juices from the pan while the bird is roasting. Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour and cook for 1 minute and then pour in some 1/2 cup of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk. Stir until thickened and season to taste.





SIMPLE AND SAVORY ROAST DUCKLING

Ingredients

5 lb duck
1 TBS butter, melted
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lemon quartered
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees and spray a roasting pan with vegetable oil.

In a bowl, mix the melted butter with the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder; set aside.

Clean the duck well and pat dry. Stuff the cavity of the bird with the quartered lemons and onions, thyme sprigs and garlic cloves.

Brush the bird with the seasoned butter and bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, basting the duck every 15 minutes. This is a simple and savory duck recipe.



PAN-FRIED DUCK WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Ingredients

4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cups parsnips, sliced
1 TBS canola oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 onion, cut into wedges
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees and spray a roasting pan with vegetable spray. Place the vegetables and garlic in the pan and drizzle with canola oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the spices and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for approximately 35 minutes or until the parsnips are fork tender.

Meanwhile we will roast the duck:

PREHEAT the oven to 400 degrees, and you will need a sheet of heavy duty foil sprayed with vegetable oil.

quartered duck pieces, skin removed (breast and legs)
1 tsp canola oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

Preheat your skillet with the canola oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add your quartered duck pieces and saute for approximately 2 minutes.

Place the duck pieces on the prepared foil; wrap tightly. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Serve with the roasted vegetables.

NOTE: You may also serve with 2 cups of cooked rice and apple chutney. Excellent.



Simple and fast, this duck recipe uses a gravy mix so you can have a meal on the table in a jiffy.

ORANGE DUCK

Ingredients

1 duck, washed and dried

Sauce
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp homemade garlic powder
1/2 tsp homemade onion powder
2 TBS homemade brown sugar packed
2 TBS homemade orange marmalade
3/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 orange, sliced

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with vegetable oil.

Wash and dry the duck and place the orange slices inside the cavity. Place in the prepared pan.

Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over the duck. Bake for 2 hours; basting every 15 minutes with the orange mixture. Serve the duck with the pan gravy.



ROAST DUCK RECIPE WITH WILD RICE

Ingredients

2 to 3 ducks
1 tsp homemade garlic powder
1 tsp homemade onion powder
2 onions, quartered
2 boxes Uncle Ben's wild rice mix, prepared

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with vegetable oil.

Sprinkle the ducks with the garlic and onion powder. Place the onion quarters in the cavity of the ducks. Bake for 2-1/2 hours or until the meat falls away from the bone.

Remove the duck meat and mix with the prepared wild rice. Serve this easy delicious meal with bread and a garden salad.





BLACKBERRY DUCK RECIPE

Ingredients

two 5 lb ducks, prepped for roasting
1 onion, quartered and divided
2 apples, quartered and divided
1 orange, quartered and divided
kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 quart chicken stock
giblets and necks from the ducks
2 onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 (16oz) cans blackberries (save the juice)
1/4 cup homemade blackberry jam
1/4 cup Cointreau
flour - 1 TBS plus 1 tsp
butter softened - 1 TBS plus 1 tsp

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a large roasting pan with vegetable oil.

Sprinkle the cavities of both ducks with salt and pepper and add the apples, onions and orange to each cavity and truss (or secure) with skewers.

Fold the neck skin under the bird and place breast side up in the roaster. Prick the skin ONLY with a fork. Roast, uncovered for 2 hours or until the drumsticks move easily.

Meanwhile in a stockpot, pour in the chicken broth and add the giblets and necks from the ducks. Add onion, celery and carrots, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the giblets, necks, onion, celery and carrots and reserve 2 cups of the duck stock. Discard the meat and vegetables.

Drain the blackberries and reserve 2 cups of the juice. Set aside.

Take the ducks out of the roaster, cut in quarters and set aside; covering with foil to stay warm. In the stock pot, loosen the brown bits and add the bits with two cups of blackberry juice, Cointreau, and duck stock in a saucepan.

Boil until the sauce is reduced in half, or approximately 20 minutes or so.

In a bowl, combine the flour, jam and butter and gradually add to the saucepan. Stir well until mixture thickens; approximately 10 minutes. Now add the blackberries and stir.

Turn the oven on broil and place the quartered duck pieces under the broiler until the skin is crispy. Place on a platter and serve with the blackberry sauce.

NOTE: I love the sauce and usually double it.

I have more than just duck recipes for you - check out the navigation bar on the left.





This recipe requires the duck to marinade in the sauce overnight. It's well worth it!

SWEET CITRUS ROAST DUCK RECIPE

Ingredients

2 to 3 pound duck

RUB
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp sweet basil
salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

MARINADE
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup homemade unsalted butter
3 TBS fresh orange juice
1 TBS grated orange peel
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 unpeeled orange, sliced
1/2 tsp cornstarch (for gravy before serving)

Directions

Combine the rub ingredients and use half of this mixture for the inside cavity of the duck.

Heat the honey, butter, orange juice, lemon juice and grated orange in a saucepan. Rub 3 TBS of this mixture inside the cavity of the duck and fill with the orange slices.

Now rub the outside of the duck with the remaining dry ingredients and then cover entirely with the remaining marinade. Rub tightly in foil and refrigerate overnight.
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees.

Roast for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Unwrap and baste with the drippings and put back in oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the duck is golden brown. For a gravy, add the cornstarch to the drippings.