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Wild duck is an exotic dish in many cuisines of the world.
However, for real hunters and lovers of delicious poultry, duck dishes always occupy a central place on any festive table. If you are new to this business, then it is better to learn how to choose, carve and cook such meat correctly.
benefits of wild duck for the body
The duck is an omnivorous bird that can eat both plant and animal food. The main diet of wild ducks include algae, mollusks, worms, and small frogs. Such nutrition makes such bird’s meat useful for the human body.
\This product is less fat than the domestic duck species. This allows you to include wild mallard meat in the diet of people watching their weight. It is also a source of high–quality protein and vitamins necessary for the human body.
Duckling contains: phosphorus, zinc, potassium, selenium, iron, magnesium, vitamins B12 and B6. One serving of such meat is able to replenish the daily allowance of all these minerals and vitamins.
How to choose a wild duck for cooking
You cook a delicious and healthy dish only from a high-quality product. Therefore, take the choice of duck meat carefully. The carcass should be without damage and mucus, shiny, and without a third-party smell.
The duck’s body should be elastic, but with a firm breast. The most delicious and healthy ducks are 2-3 months old. You can easily determine the bird’s age by the color of fat – the younger the bird, the lighter its fat.
How to butcher a wild duck
Wild duck has a piquant taste, so it is extremely important to properly cut and marinate it.
First of all, you must clean the duck carcass from feathers with a sharp knife, remove the insides, cut off the head, wings and paws.
Next, rinse the cleaned carcass under running water and dry with paper towels. The final stage of preparation is the removal of the remaining feathers and the cannon.
To do this, you can use a special burner and simply scorch the duck carcass with fire.
Should you soak wild duck?
Wild duck meat has a rather specific smell that not everyone will like. In order to remove it, put the duck in salt water with the addition of wine or apple cider vinegar. Soak the meat for 12-24 hours.
This way you can not only get rid of the smell, but also soften the meat fibers. You can also pre-remove duck fat, which contributes to the unpleasant aroma.
Marinades for wild duck
For those who do not like the specific fish smell in duck meat, professional chefs recommend marinating the product properly before cooking. Seasonings and spices are perfect for this.
For example, paprika, hot pepper, rosemary, tarragon, cumin, and marjoram. The main thing is to rub the carcass properly with coarse salt, which will soften the meat, and after cooking it will not differ from a domestic duck.
The basis for the marinade is vinegar or lemon juice. The approximate pickling time depends on the size of the wild duck, but on average it takes 8-10 hours in the refrigerator.
Does duck taste gamey?
Duck meat has a rich taste, which you can remove only by pre-soaking or adding marinades. After heat treatment, wild duck meat loses the smell of game birds and becomes piquant and slightly creamy.
Also, such a product easily absorbs the aroma of all the products that you add to a frying pan or baking sheet. In this case, you should pay special attention to the addition of spices, seasonings and herbs. I
n some cases, duck meat acquires a fishy taste and smell. This may occur due to the feeding of the duck by marine or river inhabitants. To remove the unpleasant fishy taste, simply choose the appropriate cooking technology and sauces.
Ducks VS beef VS chicken
Duck meat is often compared to chicken or beef. So are there any similarities between them? In terms of texture and taste, duck meat is more similar to chicken.
However, in terms of fat content, duckling is closer to beef meat. This knowledge can help you in choosing recipes, marinades and sauces. To remove fat content, you can use life hacks for red meat.
And to enhance the taste of wild duck, choose seasonings for chicken.
Wild duck cooking temperature
The most important thing in the duck proper preparation is the choice of cooking temperature. Professional chefs advise to measure the internal temperature inside the wild game with a meat thermometer. Next, check the following table:
Degrees of doneness | Internal temperature | Preparation time |
Rare | 140F | 30 min |
Medium | 150F | 35 min |
Medium rare | 180F | 40 min |
Well-done | 200F | 45 min |
Roast wild duck until the duck inside becomes the required temperature. Also, the bird’s size plays a big role – if you have small fowl, the rare stage will be enough to achieve the desired texture and wonderful fat.
Wild duck recipe by jamie oliver
Jamie Oliver has developed a recipe for the perfect wild duck with Worcestershire sauce. For such a dish you will need the following set of ingredients:
- whole duck – 1
- oranges – 2 pieces
- Worcestershire sauce – to taste
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- red onion – 1 piece
- carrots – 2 pieces
- celery stalks – 2
- potatoes – 500 grams
- zucchini – 1 piece
- garlic – few cloves
- coarse salt and black pepper – to taste
- spices and herbs – to taste
- juniper berries – for serving
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is heating up, prepare the vegetables for baking with duck. Rinse and coarsely chop potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and zucchini on the cutting board. Place the vegetables in a baking tray or baking dish.
- Peel the garlic cloves and cut it into small pieces. Add thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, coarse salt and pepper. Mix with olive oil.
- Take a whole bird, rinse it under cold water and dry with paper towel. Inspect duck and remove the remaining pin feathers. Also at this stage you can remove excess fat from duck carcasses.
- Take the zest from one orange and mix it with oil and herbs. Apply the mixture to the duck and let it lie down and soak for 30 minutes.
- Stuff the duck with oranges, spices and garlic. Place it on the roast rack in a preheated oven. Cook the duck for about an hour over medium heat until it forms an appetizing crispy skin.
You can serve ducks with fresh herbs and berries, for example, add a few juniper berries. A side dish of wild rice will also be a good option.
Wild duck stew
This recipe is suitable for domestic ducks, teal ducks and wild birds. For it, you will need the following ingredients:
- duck breast side – 800 g
- onion – 1 pc
- carrots – 1 pc
- tomato paste – 2 tbsp
- garlic – 3 cloves
- vegetable oil – 20 g
- salt, spices – to taste
- water (chicken stock or duck stock) – to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Soak a wild duck in water. To do this, fill all the breast meat pieces completely with water and leave them for 2-3 hours. Then remove and dry them.
- Take a deep roasting pan for cooking. Fry duck pieces on high heat on all sides until golden brown.
- Peel the onion and carrot and rinse in cold water. Cut the carrots into slices or cubes, and cut the onion into pieces.
- Add the onion and carrot to the roasted duck. Stir and fry everything together for another 3-5 minutes.
- Then add some hot water to the pan and cover it with a lid. Simmer the wild duck over low heat for 1.5 hours. Mark the time after the first barely a bubble simmer appears.
How to cook a wild duck on a grill
Grilled domestic duck or game is a great option for a delicious dinner for the whole family. The technology of cooking such a dish will be simple:
- Prepare a quick marinade. In one container, mix two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of ground coriander and cumin, add a pinch of ground red pepper and cinnamon. Rub two cloves of garlic and lemon zest here. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Mix everything well.
- Slice the wild duck lengthwise. Rub with the prepared mixture, cover with something and set aside for a couple of hours.
- Grill game for 20 minutes, turning constantly. Pay attention to the rare and underdone side. When the duck reaches the desired temperature, it will acquire a crispy crust.
Serve the grilled duck garnished with apple slice or fresh herbs.
How to cook a wild duck in a oven bag
If you want to get tender wild duck meat (this recipe is also suitable for domesticated ducks) – use an oven bag.
The technology of preparing the dish in this case will be simple:
- Rinse the duck and remove excess moisture with paper towels.
- Cut the duck into two parts, rub with spices, and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Place the duck pieces in the oven bag. Also you can add potatoes, carrots, and onions there.
- Tie the oven bag and place it on a baking sheet. Cook for 2 hours at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Crispy mallard duck recipe
If you want to get a wild duck with a crispy crust – use dry sherry cream method. For such tasty duckling, you will need rosemary, onion, cloves, dry sherry apples and cream.
The method of preparation is based on the creation of a creamy sauce from sherry. You have to cut the whole duck and stuff it with sauce and other ingredients.
Also don’t forget to add thyme and rosemary for a special flavor. Roast such a duck in a pan skillet, depending on the desired degree of roasting.
Wild duck recipe in a slow cooker
In the “Hunter angler gardener cook” and “What our Pals say” you can find recipes for cooking wild duck in a slow cooker. Pal suggests cooking duck in this way, as you will be able to get the most tender and juicy meat.
To achieve the best result, take a small bird. And then to do everything right, follow the instructions:
- Soak the duck carcass in vinegar solution. Rinse it thoroughly under running water, and remove the remaining moisture with a paper napkin.
- Cut the duck carcass into portions.
- Rub the game with coarse salt, paprika and ground allspice.
- Put the duck in a deep bowl, pour beer and send it to the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
- Transfer to a slow cooker container. Add onion and spices. Cook for 2 hours.
How to store cooked wild duck
Duck meat contains an increased amount of fat in the skin. Therefore, it spoils faster. But if you exclude the skin, you will get a wonderful dietary product.
By following certain rules, you can significantly increase the shelf life of both raw and cooked duck. You can store a whole cooked wild duck for the following periods:
- in the refrigerator or other place at a temperature of 4C ° – up to 5 days
- in the freezer for 6-7 months
- outside the refrigerator, wrapped in a vinegar–soaked cloth – for no more than 2 days
What is the best wild duck to eat with?
If you have coped with the task of how to properly cook a wild duck, then there is still one question – what to serve such a dish with. Wild fowl is especially well combined with rice or buckwheat porridge, potatoes are also well suited.
The main thing to remember is that the side dish should only emphasize the taste of the main course, and not interrupt it in any way. Either lingonberry or currant jam is suitable for fried poultry.
The following trick will help to effectively serve game to the table. First, put fruits on the gravy serving dish, for example, apples, pineapples, oranges, and put portions of duck on top.
Pour the sauce and sprinkle it with herbs. Single serving ducks are also a good option. You can serve such a dish to a large plate decorated with herbs and berries.
Main tips
To cook a delicious duck, follow the advice from professional chefs. Among them:
- Fill the duck with stuffing by only two–thirds – almost any filler in the baking process will be soaked in duck fat, significantly increasing in size.
- For reliability, cooks recommend sewing a “hole” in the duck so that the filling does not leak out anywhere.
- When baking, it is not bad to water the duck with the released juice – this will give the meat additional juiciness, and provide a beautiful shiny skin.
Final thoughts
Wild duck is a great option for dinner. You can cook such a dish in different ways – roast, bake or stew it. The main thing is to properly rinse and gut the duck carcass.
Try different game recipes and combine duck with different sauces, spices, and herbs. Enjoy your meal!