Duck hearts

[tammylc]

What do you like to do with duck hearts? I got 1.5 lbs from a local farmer recently, and have them stashed in my freezer. I have a multi-course tasting menu style dinner party coming up soon and want to incorporate them into a course. Any favorite recipes or techniques? The only thing I've done with them before is the "duck hearts on toast" recipe from the Nose to Tail Eating cookbook, and that was good, but I'm looking for new ideas!

[Kent Wang]

You could try any recipe for gizzard, which is very similar to the heart, like Salt-pressed duck gizzard.

You could also put them on skewers and roast them.

I had a duck gizzard dish at Damon in New York where they braised a duck gizzard for several hours until it got soft and then breaded and fried it.

[tammylc]

Thanks for the ideas, Kent.

Anyone else cooked with duck hearts and have some ideas for me?

[purplechick]

You could make pâté. I recently came into some pork liver and hearts so I made the Grosse Cochonaille in Madeleine Kamman's When French Women Cook. It turned out really well. One tip: be sure to freeze your meat grinder for an hour before using and catch the ground meat in a bowl that is nested in another bowl full of ice. Keep every thing as cold as possible so the fat doesn't separate out. I would guess that there are appropriate ducky pâté recipes in Ruhlman's Charcuterie as well.

[Sony]

Have not tried this recipe, but have it bookmarked: Duck Hearts with Green Grapes. I do wonder about the texture of the hearts with such a brief cooking time. Usually, I braise for quite a while.

This may probably not fancy enough, but the other day, I made chicken hearts stewed in a simple brown mushroom gravy- diced onion, mushrooms and celery sweated, then added flour (allowed to brown), minced garlic, homemade stock, salt, pepper.... all simmered until tender. Served over rice for a great rainy day supper.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Sony (log)

[judiu]

Hmmm. Maybe braise and serve in musroom caps that have been roasted with a bit of butter or oo?

Seems like it would make a nice little coctail nibble, or a plated hors d'orvre (sp? sorry!)

with the reduced brasing liquid and a deglazing of the roasting pan as a sauce. HTH!

[tammylc]

Have not tried this recipe, but have it bookmarked: Duck Hearts with Green Grapes. I do wonder about the texture of the hearts with such a brief cooking time. Usually, I braise for quite a while.

Thanks!

The short cook time is in keeping with the Duck Hearts on Toast recipe I've made before. The hearts had some texture, but were not overly firm or difficult to eat.

[Sony]

The decent texture with shorter cooking time is good to know about....especially for those evenings I'm feeling less patient for dinner!

Edited November 4, 2009 by Sony (log)

[mizducky]

How about preparing them yakitori style? Chicken hearts and gizzards are standard yakitori ingredients; I bet duck hearts would taste great prepared the same way.