| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/15/2007 8:38:39 AM | | I would like to prepare duck breasts for Christmas and need a recipe.I have fileted them and have them in Italian dressing . I was told to slice them into strips and wrap with bacon and cook them on the grill. I would also like to try any other idea's.Thank you. | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/15/2007 10:04:06 AM | Since you already have them fileted and in a brine of Italian dressing, maybe something like this; Slice the breast meat open to butterfly it, add some thin slices of portobello mushroom tossed with a little olive oil and garlic, some prosciutto, fold back over, wrap in bacon or more prosciutto, dredge in seasoned flour, then egg wash, then seasoned bread crumbs. Pan fry in an iron skillet until just crisp, then into a 400*F oven until done (measure with probe thermometer). Served over wild and brown rice. Use the Italian dressing that it's been brining in as a sauce- reduce it to about 1/4 to 1/3 and pour over. Side of steamed asparagus topped with fried prosciutto bits and butter.
You could even stuff the duck with a mushroom-roasted pepper-prosciutto mix, wrap it with puff pastry and deep fry it. Might want to do a hollandaise with that one. | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/15/2007 10:48:05 AM | | a very simple but effective and tasty way is to cut the meet accross ways and dob some cranberry jelly in to the slices. This when served hot will fuse in to the duck meat, and has a festive feel about it. Serve with cranberries around the meat | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/15/2007 12:44:58 PM | Duck meat contains an astounding amount of oil. Although wild duck has far less than domesticed, it is still substantial. You have to be careful when you cook it to catch all the drips and avoid starting a grease fire. Otherwise, you'll make a big, greasy mess. (Don't ask me how I know this.)
As all that oil cooks out, the fat layer shrinks a great deal, leading to a misshapen final product unless you score through the skin almost all the way down to the meat. Then it makes a beautiful pattern.
If you're grilling, you have to use indirect heat. If you place duck directly over a flame, kablooey! Huge flare-ups. If you fry it, use a spatter screen and a pan with high walls. If you roast it, which is probably the safest and sanest cooking method, place a deep-sided drip pan inside a water bath underneath it. (I use a large roaster resting in a cookie sheet that is partially filled with water. There's so much oil that puttng water in the roaster itself leads to gigantic splatters, so don't do that.)
Save that oil! It makes a wonderful substitute for butter in savory dishes like mashed potatoes (or even better, mashed yams! Yummy! Or, as the fat in your crust for a sweet-potato pie--don't get me started!).
Save the bones and scraps for a fabulously rich stock.
I'd say forget the bacon. Duck has a wonderfully rich flavor that needs no help. Besides, you can get bacon-flavored stuff any day of the week. This duck will be a very special treat and you'll want to highlight it's own flavor. It goes very well with sweet sauces and tart glazes. Other complimentary flavorings to think about would be nutmeg and clove (easy does it) or Chinese 5 spice, citrus, and of course mirepoix (onions, carrot, and celery). For a more savory take, you can use poultry seasoning along with some fresh rosemary, sage, and parsely, and oranges.
Me, I go for the sweet stuff when working with a rich meat like duck. I'd add some apple juice, orange juice, and orange zest to that marinade you've got going, and maybe some sherry, port, sweet sake, full-bodied red wine, or dessert wine, and maybe some jellied cranberry as well.
Have fun! If there was ever a meat that can hold it's own with truffles or truffle oil, duck is it! (Place the shavings or oil on top just before serving and be sparing, truffles are intense!)
The cranberry glaze idea sounds good. I'd apply it just as the skin turns golden brown and starts to crisp up. I usually like to deglaze the roaster (after pouring off the oil) with port or a bold red wine and thicken the drippings with cornstarch for a lovely sauce. Yummmmmy!!!!! | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/15/2007 9:10:59 PM | I’m sorry this doesn’t help you since you’ve already started, because of the high fat content I find it is better to par-cook the breast before placing in marinade. With the breasts skin side down, separate, trim the skin from the sides, flip over and score the skin, place skin side down in a skillet, brown on each side, submerge in marinade. Save the trimmed skin, cut in thin strips to make cracklings, if any make it past all the tasting they make wonderful salad toppings. As mentioned before save the rendering for anything you would normally use butter for like fried eggs, yum, yum, yum. Roast the breasts on a shallow pan in the oven before service; or cook ahead of time, slice thin, and serve cold with a salad. I prefer medium but definitely not well. For a simple compote; canned whole cranberry sauce, orange zest, fresh mint (chiffonade), and thinly julienned deseeded Jalapeño or Serrano chilies.
Since the breasts are in marinade, smoke over indirect heat for a short period on a grill, and finish cooking in the oven whole; too much trouble right.
Duck Marinade for a large amount (don’t get hung up on precise scale-down or ingredients):
2qrt. Apple Cider
2C Prickly Pear Syrup
1C Olive Oil
1/2C Walnut Oil
2C Port Wine
1C Soy Sauce
1Tbl. Liquid Smoke
6ea. Bay Leaves
1Bu Cilantro, Chopped
2Tbl. Garlic, Chopped
1C Shallots, Chopped
1/4C Cumin Seeds, Toasted
2Tbl. Dried Chile Seeds
1Tbl. Whole Thyme
1Tbl. Rosemary
1/2C Cracked Black Pepper | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/16/2007 1:20:15 AM |
I would like to prepare duck breasts for Christmas and need a recipe.I have fileted them and have them in Italian dressing .
Acids can cook the meat and could prematurely tenderize it. This will show up as the meat turning white. Avoid overnight marinades with lots of acid but generally short ones are good. If you have any doubt in the future you could dilute the dressing down 50/50 with anything non acidic.
Myself, I'd opt for Marsala Wine. 
The wine marinade can double as a sauce. First marinate the breasts(while refrigerated ), then pan brown them in a skillet over medium high heat covered 1-2 minutes on each side until brown. Save the marinade juices. Then stick the breasts in a 350 degree oven while you work on top of the stove in your skillet.
Deglaze the skillet pan brownings with the used wine marinade, a little onion/garlic/mushrooms(whatever you personally like), half a cup of low sodium chicken stock, and this has to boil about 3 minutes because it was in contact with the raw duck. That's important but this is fine because Chef's use this technique all the time. Then simply thicken it with a water/cornstarch mix and finish it with a pat of cold butter stirred in. Serve the sauce under the duck and on the potatoes or nearest vegetable. (PS -- When done right the skillet is so clean it needs no scrubbing)
Check your duck in the oven for doneness. If you like things rare this is a fantastic safe way to go because things can be rare inside and still be safe after they were exposed to that hot panbrowning start( that kills the bacteria because they need oxygen and they are on the outside ). Beware of the spattering though.
Basically the above is any Chicken Marsala recipe. (except they don't marinate the chicken with the wine, they just use it in the sauce, beware of how much salt you use initially because you'll be reducing it into the sauce later) I read a bunch over at recipezaar.com which were good.
I was told to slice them into strips and wrap with bacon and cook them on the grill.
I rarely call people names but whoever told you this was a buffoon and should not be listened to in the future in matters cooking related. Like aces already said duck meat is very fatty naturally. This makes it hard to do anything wrong with it since the ideal meat has fat blended throughout it. Look at the marbling in high quality USDA beef, for instance.
Mallard, wood ducks? Believe it or not the type of duck can make a big difference. If you could look up the fat content it might help fine tune the process a bit. The type used for Peking duck is much less fattier than the everyday use ones. Hoisin sauce is served with peking duck.
I'll disagree with aces on one point: Grilling, but probably only because my techniques are so different than others. Yes, you would get flare ups so close the top vents all but a hair, bottom ones half open. Lid on as much as possible. This way any fat into the fire now becomes flavor because it does not have enough oxygen to support flame. So the fat hits the coals and becomes smoke which in turn flavors the meat more. Tea leaves on the hot coals also impart a nice flavor. I think that'd go well with duck.
I may smoke a lot when I grill but I get maximum flavor and I never get flare-ups using this proper control of oxygen. I always have the vents wide open then close them down to the above mentioned setting just before I put the food on.
Slow roasted is really good, too. It's really hard to screw up a naturally rich meat like duck. (short of burning it, I suppose)
Another idea: Boil your current italian dressing marinade until sterile then mix in some sour cream. Serve this with the duck and over taters. I suppose you could serve it over noodles and call it Duck Stroganoff. I've also heard 7 up makes a good marinade for game birds but can't testify to trying it myself. But when in doubt go with a classic for Christmas:
Canard a L'orange (Duck With Orange)
A tempting adaptation of the favourite classic French dish.
4 servings 45 min 20 min prep
4 duck breasts
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
baby spinach leaves, washed
For the sauce:
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup well flavoured chicken stock
1 orange, zest of, finely sliced
2 oranges, segments from
Trim the duck breasts to remove any excess fat and score the skin with a diamond pattern.
To make the sauce, put the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce until it begins to caramelise. Add the orange juice, reduce down to one third and add the chicken stock. Leave to simmer.
Set the oven to 400°F Season the duck breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add the duck breasts, skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden, turn the breasts over and cook for a further 30 seconds. Transfer to the oven and cook for 4-5 minutes, depending on size. When the duck is cooked, remove it from the oven and leave to rest - skin side up.
Heat the butter and add the garlic and spinach. Cook briefly until the spinach has wilted and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the orange zest to the orange sauce and simmer for a minute or so.
To serve, place a portion of drained spinach on each plate, cut the duck breast skin into slices and fan evenly across the spinach. Put the orange segments into the sauce and gently poach for 15 seconds. Place the orange segments around the duck and pour the sauce around the plate.
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/16/2007 4:56:22 AM | | Thanks! Background on it: I developed it while grilling lots of fat laden brats. Especially the raw kind that can take so long to cook. | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/16/2007 6:23:37 AM | The reduced oxygen trick sounds like a great idea, so does using tea leaves for smoking. Thanks. I think I might try the tea leaves for some chicken. Now I wonder if it should be some strong flavored blend like Earl Grey or Lapsang Suchong or if something mild like jasmine or an herbal blend would work.
By the way- where are you getting those juicy moist fat-filled duck breasts? The few times I've been lucky enough to get fresh non-processed non-store bought they've been bone dry and if I hadn't added extra oil they would have tasted like garlic flavored sand. | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/16/2007 9:25:50 PM | Grilled Wild Duck Breast
PREP TIME 15 Min COOK TIME 10 Min READY IN 55 Min
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 skinned, boned duck breast halves
DIRECTIONS
Stir together the Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic, and pepper. Add the duck breasts, and toss well to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
Grill the duck to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-well, depending on the size of the breast, and the temperature of the grill. (May require additional cooking time due to grill temp.) | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/16/2007 10:04:24 PM | | hmm, too late for help I'd say...just hope you didnt remove the fat as well....I'm not a fan of marinating meats as you lose the taste of what it is supposed to taste like. Sauces and accompaniments are there for a reson ; ) hmmm, don't slice duck breast either. Much better to cook it to the doneness you like, let it rest then slice. Italian dressing is not a place for duck brest either...imo. You're much better off with sweeter and/or fruitier flavors to compliment duck. Duck breast has a strong "wild game" flavor to it with a hint of liver flavor as well. Your best choices ar to go with wild berries, portos and such....do a google seach and I'm sure you 'll find some good ideas! but what ever you do , stay away from the italian dressing, lol! yes, btw I'm a chef in a large french bistro in Montreal....good luck! | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 12/16/2007 11:01:46 PM |
By the way- where are you getting those juicy moist fat-filled duck breasts? The few times I've been lucky enough to get fresh non-processed non-store bought they've been bone dry and if I hadn't added extra oil they would have tasted like garlic flavored sand.
If you get 'em skinned and boned, you might as well throw 'em back and use chicken thighs instead. I suppose the ones who are nearing the end of their migration could be pretty darn lean. Either way, a good way to cook something like that is to lightly brown it and then poach it in a port or sherry-flavored stock. That will keep it moist. Brining it for a few hours before cooking could actually help plump it up.
A dry-heat method like roasting or grilling will bring the internal temperature of a dry or lean meat too high for the protein network to stay flexible. It will sieze up and squeeze out all the water. Once that happens, you've got a mini pot-roast on your hands and the only way to save it is to braise it for a long time until the connective tissue breaks down enough to make it chewable. However, that will also make tend to fall to shreds--which could be great in a wrap or Asian salad.
If you're going to roast or grill duck, get it with the skin and bones still attached and deal with the fat. That's where the flavor is. If you don't want the fat, you don't want roast duck. | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 2/19/2008 8:19:01 PM | Wild?? Truly wild?? Now that would depend on the breed of duck and what they were eating just before killed. I will give you the way I cook Muscovi duck breasts and all you PETA people, don't message me because I love Muscovi Duck breast. This also works for wild Wood Duck, but they are best low grilled and stuffed with wild mushrooms, sage and shallots.
NEVER remove the skin of a duck. If you don't like the fat, learn to cook it right.
In a hot heavy skillet on low flame, add:
chile sesame oil, be sure to use enough
ginger
lemon grass
chinese 5 spice, or Japanese 7 spice mix
sliced green onion
Szechuan chile paste
honey, optional added at end
Place breasts fat side down and sear in sauce 3 minutes, be careful not to burn sauce, work quickly, turn breast and cook another minute. Remove breast to plate that has some mesclun and pour sauce over breast and greens. YUMMY!
Like all wild game, duck breast should not be cooked long, or at high temps. Pink juices are not raw with wild meats. If they run brown, or clear, the meat will not be edible. Fresh rice noodles would be good with this too, or sweet potato. | |
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| help me with wild duck breasts
Posted: 2/19/2008 8:58:45 PM | Our local food co-op (PCC) has frozen duck quarters at about $5 or 6, depending on whether hindquarter or breast--I roast a couple of these in the oven at 350 until golden brown, I think 45 minutes, and then add a few heaping tablespoons of homemade plum jam on it. Can't get any better than that.
Or if you want to get fancier (if you have company and you don't mind using extra saucepans), you can dice some onion, saute it together with some minced garlic and then add the plum jam to that.
Serve with basmati rice.
~~~~~Basmati Rice~~~~~~
4 cups hot water, 2 cups rice, 1 teaspoon salt. Boil in open saucepan until water has boiled dowan to "funnels" in the rice (approx 15 minutes), then turn off the heat, put the lid on and let steep another 20 minutes. Perfect rice.
~~~~~~Plum Jam~~~~~~~~
3 pounds Italian prunes, pitted and halved, quartered or coarsely chopped
2 or 3 sticks of cinnamon
Bake in large baking pan for about an hour, stirring occasionally. It's "done" when the liquid is bubbling evenly, is bright red, and starts to thicken
4 1/2 cups of prune pulp
7 cups sugar
Bring to boiling on stovetop (approx 15 minutes), stirring to prevent scorching
Add 1 pkg Certo and immediately fill 6 or 7 pint/quart canning jars (or your favorite empty jam jars)...lids and glass have been immersed in boiling water about 45 seconds, then drained (easy to do while the jam is starting to boil). I try to include a piece of cinnamon stick in each jar. Screw lids on tightly, allow to cool (tightening lids) and store in cool dark area--like garage or pantry. Have with duck all winter...good on English muffins, too. | |
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