Duck: The Topic

[budrichard]

"I assume that if you roast the whole duck then you you can't aim for medium rare breasts b/c the legs/thighs would be undercooked? "

That is correct.

As to the other recipes/methods provided, for a first time, I expect they are way too involved. Keep it simple.-Dick

[scubadoo97]

I picked up a whole frozen duck at Publix a couple of weeks ago as well. I boned it out, thought about how I wanted to use it. Ended up cutting the breasts out so I cook sear them. Used the rest of the meat to make sausage patties. Rendered the skin for the fat and cracklings and reserved the bones for stock

I cooked the patties and served with sautéed mushrooms

The beasts were seared and finished with a little balsamic vinegar and honey

[rotuts]

looks so delicious. Im of the school that a little or a lot of work before you cook gives great yields on the plate,

ie Lobster ( just an example ) needs to be de-constructed before it reaches the plate.

[qrn]

What kind of duck? Some of the farm raised birds are incredibly fatty, while wild ducks are lean. Makes a big difference in how to cook.

I would imagine it's farm raised since as far as I know it's illegal to sell wildlife.

thats true, but if its wild ,it is not worth eating ,they are bad tasteing(why I do not hunt them any more,If I am not gonna eat it I am not gonna kill it,,,)

bud..

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

Pomegranate Lacquered Duck or Chicken

This easy lacquering technique takes only minutes and works equally well with duck breast or chicken thigh ‘chops’, skin on.

Simply score the skin side of 2 free-range duck breasts or chicken thighs but without going as deep as the meat layer. Season with pepper only and brown, skin side down in a medium heated pan for 7 minutes, reduce the heat and after 2-3 minutes more flip and cook 4-5 minutes on the second side, the exact time depends on the size and thighs will need more. Add a splash of cognac/brandy if you have it and flame off the alcohol and remove meat and rest, covered with foil. Pour any excess fat from the pan and de-glaze with equal amounts of pomegranate concentrate* and honey. Reduce to a syrup, remember it will thicken as it cools, taste, adjust seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Off the heat, add chopped walnuts, pomegranate avrils, orange slices. Lacquer the meat with the sauce. Serve sliced, on a bed of steamed spinach or mash, topped with the juices and extra sauce. Good with a big bowl of steamed spinach or a shaved fennel, walnut and orange salad.

Instead of concentrated pomegranate juice, you can also use pomegranate molasses + a little stock or balsamic vinegar.

[MikeMac]

Duck under used product.

 

Duck is amazing I am not talking the wild stuff with no fat which has spent its life running or flying from its natural enemies

 

Instead  the carefully raised farm product.

 

True you loose a lot of the product to fat dripping but what is left is great.

 

Tonight I did nothing to season the duck just set it up and roasted it   it up right  letting the fat drain out. 

 

I lost 40% of the duck by weight but the meat left was amazing  served it quartered over a bed of  celery root roasted in a bit of the duck fat with Kale and lemon salt.  I used the tasty part of  lemon rind as well as the lemon juice to brighten up taste.  All it needed on top of this was a bit of salt and pepper.

 

Really great.

[liuzhou]

Don't lose the fat. Gather it and store in the fridge. It keeps forever and is wonderful for frying or roasting potatoes.

Definitely don't "loose" it - that could get very messy.

Edited January 28, 2017 by liuzhou (log)

[Shelby]

Um, the "wild stuff with no fat that has spent it's life flying" is what we eat.  

[SobaAddict70]

Don't lose the fat. Gather it and store in the fridge. It keeps forever and is wonderful for frying or roasting potatoes.

And cassoulet and duck confit.

If the OP won't save duck fat, I propose he send us both some.

[Okanagancook]

Love duck. Rotisserie on the BBQ works well if one wishes to avoid the oven mess that can result. A large drip pan with a little water underneath the duck will collect all that lovely fat. It takes awhile, I.e. 90 minutes or so. Pricking the skin all over helps it to crispen up.

[annachan]

We cook duck about once every other week. We usually have crispy duck confit. For duck breast, I make stir fry. I take the skin off, cut it in strips and fry til crispy. The meat sliced thin, marinaded and goes in whatever vegetables we have. Crispy skin goes on top once the stir fry is done.

[gfweb]

Um, the "wild stuff with no fat that has spent it's life flying" is what we eat.  

How do you find the farmed duck varies from the wild?

[Kerala]

I'll agree supermarket duck is quick, easy and delicious. I can't really understand the price hike on duck breasts compared to whole duck or duck legs. I like breast, but...

 

Yesterday: Roasted duck thighs (cheap, 6 for £7) with extra virgin olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper and Ras al Hanout, served with roasted pomodoro tomatoes and king oyster mushrooms (thank you Morrison's). Reserved the duck fat and 2 thighs.

 

Today: parboiled quartered potatoes, roasted in the duck fat, and re-cooked the duck thighs in the duck fat, allowing further rendering of the skin. With peas and finely chopped smoked bacon. A lovely lunch for two. Very close to confit...

 

I'm really looking forward to trying the celeriac, kale and lemon salt suggested by the OP.

[Smithy]

I love duck, but rarely get it; it's difficult to find in our grocery stores and expensive then I find it, and I'm no duck hunter. Like gfweb, I'd like to know how the wild fowl compares to the domestic; I'm guessing that the domestic is fatter and the wild is more flavorful provided it's cooked properly. So - Shelby, please tell us what you can about what you cook, how you cook it, and how the flavors work out. Anyone else who can make the comparison, let's hear it!

[liuzhou]

I eat a lot of duck. Because I like it. It is also widely available and cheap here in China; cheaper than chicken.

 

95% of what I buy is farmed duck which I usually get directly from the farm near my country home. If I'm in the city, the local farmer's market does just as good birds.

 

Very occasionally, I will get my hands on a wild duck. They are great when they are great and miserable when they are not. The meat is very favoursome when you get a good, relatively young one, but often they are old, tired and stringy. The lack of fat doesn't help and the end result can be dry as .... No matter what you do to counteract the dryness.

 

Farmed duck are a lot more consistent and have enough flavour. Plus you get all that lovely fat.

[MikeMac]

Um, the "wild stuff with no fat that has spent it's life flying" is what we eat.

Interesting how is the wild stuff different than the farm product?

Frankly I can not see the farmed product flying around when I cooked them lost 40% by weight and had quite a bit of duck fat.

With the wild I would imagine not the same fat content but no "hands on" knowledge.

[Shelby]

Interesting how is the wild stuff different than the farm product?

Frankly I can not see the farmed product flying around when I cooked them lost 40% by weight and had quite a bit of duck fat.

With the wild I would imagine not the same fat content but no "hands on" knowledge.

I've only had domestic duck a couple of times.....wild duck meat is darker, more iron-y tasting.  Less grease.  Leaner.  It must be cooked right, or it's awful.  We eat ours pretty rare.

[MikeMac]

Interesting exactly the opposite to the farmed approach where the entire cooking process I used is designed to render most of the fat leaving a very succulent tasty finished product with a crispy skin.

How do you cook it? Debone then pan fry?

[daveb]

I've been reading/following threads on here awhile but this might be my first post. 

 

The most obvious difference between domestic and wild duck is the "no fat" part.  Wild game, ducks, geese, quail, pheasant, deer, et al, has very little if any fat.  In the kitchen that means the meat is not forgiving to overcooking - it will dry out quickly and develop the gamey, liver like flavor that is not good.  A high heat very quick cooking method works best for me (though I have a pheasant in the freezer that I'm thinking about introducing to my Anova...)

 

IMO the most significant difference between them are the species available.  The species of domestic duck is predetermined.  Long Island ducks are popular domestics products.  Muscovey ducks are popular in the asian markets near me. When I'm preparing domestic duck I like the product from the Hudson River Valley that is available at RD.  All of these are raised and sold because they are good eaters.

 

With wild ducks first you have to harvest (shoot) them.   While a hunter can target a specic species, a mixed bag is common.  There is no catch and release.  Ducks such as Mallards, Widgeon, Teal, Wood Ducks, Redheads, Mottled and others are all excellent table fare.  Shovelers, Bluebills, Meganzars and others cannot be made fit to eat.

 

The differences between wild and domestic geese are pretty much the same.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited June 16, 2014 by daveb (log)

[gfweb]

I've only had domestic duck a couple of times.....wild duck meat is darker, more iron-y tasting.  Less grease.  Leaner.  It must be cooked right, or it's awful.  We eat ours pretty rare.

Ever Sous vide it?

[Shelby]

Interesting exactly the opposite to the farmed approach where the entire cooking process I used is designed to render most of the fat leaving a very succulent tasty finished product with a crispy skin.

How do you cook it? Debone then pan fry?

Yep, breast it out and throw it in a hot skillet, or wrap in some bacon and grill it.  

 

Ever Sous vide it?

 

I'm still a sous vide virgin.

[rotuts]

Shelby

 

hope you've never SV'd  wild duck 'rare'  hope you don't tell us its beyond superb.

 

After the Anova, the CuisiSteamBoy, the next Toy  culinary assistant might be something from

 

Remington  :  one of these ?

 

http://www.remington.com/product-families/firearms/shotgun-families/autoloading-model-1100.aspx

 

Winchester ?   i like the scrollwork on these :

 

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/winchester-shotguns/_/N-1103080+4294736119/Ne-4294736119?WTz_st=GuidedNav&WTz_stype=GNU

[liuzhou]

 

The species of domestic duck is predetermined. Long Island ducks are popular domestics products.

 

 

Not where I am. Never heard of them.

[SobaAddict70]

this thread is going to make me want to schlep to Chinatown one of these days and get some Cantonese roast duck.

maybe this weekend, come to think of it. it's been a while since I went to Noodletown. I can pick up a duck on the way home....

[liuzhou]

 

this thread is going to make me want to schlep to Chinatown one of these days and get some Cantonese roast duck.

 

Not that 's there is anything wrong with Cantonese roast duck, but I think you can do better. Sichuan roast duck is great too. (I won't even bother you with Peking/Beijing. duck Done well, it is wonderful. Usually it isn't done well, especially in Beijing. Too many tourist clip joints.).

 

But I think China's best duck dishes aren't the roasts. Braised in a hundred ways. Hunan braised duck is to die for. I regularly ate Hunan duck hotpot when I lived there in the 1990s.I still wake up at night craving it.

 

Round here beer duck is a favourite. Its what it says on the label. Duck cooked in beer - with the usual Chinese aromatics, garlic ginger and chill peppers.

 

Duck of choice round here is the Pekin duck (note; that is a species of duck, not the famous duck dish, although the Pekin duck is used for Peking/Beijing Duck.Confused yet? A little 'g' can make a huge difference in Chinese. That's one reason why they don't use an alphabet)