Plucked mallard recipe?

USMCDI

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So I shot a nice northern mallard, plucked it to precision, not a pin feather to speak of and the queen used a family recipe for roast duck and well... I ate it but it wasn't like I remembered it should be. I usually do the bacon wrapped grill method, rare and it's delightful but I know some of you guys out there know how to do it right so, plucked whole duck?
 


fj40

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Back in the day......I would pluck a nice mallard or bull Can and place them in a oven cooking bag after a generous application of season salt. I would squeeze an orange over the duck in the bag and place the orange in the cavity. Add a half cup or so of vermouth and bake.
Can't eat that shit anymore.
 

SDMF

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So I shot a nice northern mallard, plucked it to precision, not a pin feather to speak of and the queen used a family recipe for roast duck and well... I ate it but it wasn't like I remembered it should be. I usually do the bacon wrapped grill method, rare and it's delightful but I know some of you guys out there know how to do it right so, plucked whole duck?

I'm going to guess that whomever used to prepare the roast duck that you liked, would have been basting it along the way. Beef-broth, some sort of melted butter and spices concoction, or perhaps even ladling on some melted bacon grease.
 

BotnoJoe

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lightly season with oil and salt & pepper. preheat oven to 500-550 and bake for about 25 min. used to do low and slow but have always done it this way since a friend showed me. I enjoy it this way a little on the rare side
 

Retired-Guy

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Spatchcock it, marinate in Zesty Italian Dressing overnight, salt and pepper it, grill until medium rare while basting with leftover marinade.

Lowrys seasoning is an excellent substitute for the salt. It provides seasoning and salt. Grill skin side down for the first few minutes to get good grill marks on it and reder out some of the fat which will help to baste the meat. Flip it over and finish. It doesn't take too long for medium rare.
 
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Duckslayer100

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My experience is that roasting wild ducks is tricky. Very, very difficult to NOT overcook and turn tough and dry.

I prefer to pluck a duck, and then pan sear it in butter and oil, bacon grease or lard. You get a nice, crispy skin, and can finish medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes when it's done, and you're eating great.

Save the legs for another dish. They cook up differently. I prefer a braise or slow cook.
 

Ponyroper

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Spatchcock it, marinate in Zesty Italian Dressing overnight, salt and pepper it, grill until medium rare while basting with leftover marinade.

Try adding an equal amount of soy sauce and a chunk of brown sugar to the Italian dressing for overnight marinading then grill. I use that mix to make wings and drummies for the poker night and there is literally a fight at the pot when I show up. Don't know how long you would need to cook the duck but I do 45 minutes @ 400 degrees on a rack in the oven or high heat in a convection toaster oven for at least half an hour. They drip a lot and make a mess so I line the bottom with foil which helps with clean-up a lot.
 

SDMF

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Cook-in bags are great for keeping things moist. A person can always cut the bag open and fire up the broiler burner to finish crisping the skin.

Another trick to keep thing moist is to make lots of extra stuffing. Obviously stuff the cavity, but, also lay a bed of stuffing in the bottom as well as packing the stuffing completely around the duck (or chicken, or turkey). Again, a person can crisp up the skin @ the end.

i would consider a meat thermometer as an indespensible tool until you have a repeatable result you’re happy with.
 

espringers

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plucked duck needs to be medium rare or you are doing it wrong. pairing citrus in any marinade is a good idea. i say citrus. but, what i really mean is orange i guess cause that's all we have ever used. try to get a nice crispy skin on it whatever you do. stuff it with an orange and or apple. duckslayer is right that the legs end up being tough because they won't break down when cooked to medium rare. i never thought to save them for another dish. may have to try that. cause legs... unlike breast meat turn out good when cooked slower and longer. but, we've always "suffered" through the tougher medium legs cause the flavor and the rest of the duck made up for it. love duck fat!
 

Retired Educator

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Seemed to have lost a recipe for roast duck I used to have. From what I can remember for sure it had a wild rice stuffing that also included some peppers, etc. 2 ducks to a roasting pan and covered with about a quart of orange juice. Roast until done, don't remember temp or time. Stuffing was very good as was the bird. Need to find that recipe again.
 


riverview

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i coat the duck with olive oil the use johnnies season salt and pepper the duck is orange with johnnies . Cook on a stand made to cook chickens on so they stand upright and all the grease goes in a small pan under the rack. cook to medium. most of the ducks i shoot get rough plucked then waxed at home. I am going to try bleeding some ducks this year and see if it makes any differance. 9 out of 10 ducks will be very good but that one will taste like the slew it was shot over.
 

Chas'n Tail

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Step 1. Purchase cook-in bags and bring home. Step 2. Purchase case of Busch Lattees. Step 3. Season Duck as desired. Step 4. Place duck in cooking bag. Step 5. Throw cooking bag and all contents inside it in garbage. Step 6. Drink Busch Lattee repeatedly until no longer hungry. Sorry, i had to. Growing up we always either did bbq bacon wrapped bites on the grill or jerkey. Not nearly as inventive as you folks. Hope you find a recipe that turns out well!
 

zoops

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Fat plucked mallards are one of my favorite meals of the year. Similar recipe to many mentioned here; I'll try to track it down from family.
 

KDM

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Mama KDM slides thick cut hickory smoked bacon up under the skin on the breast, stuffs a good sweet onion up into the cavity, and fills the rest of the cavity with a rice and herb mix. Stuffs the whole thing into a bag and bakes until the bacon and rice are done. Then she broils the duck until the skin crisps up to a beautiful golden brown and serves with a veggie side and garlic bread. It DOESN'T suck.
 

zoops

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350 for about 50 minutes for 2 mallards. Stuff inside of cavity w/celery, apple & onion. Coat outside with oil & some salt. Lay something underneath the ducks in the pan (grate, stalks of celery, etc) to keep them off the bottom. Seal pan with tin foil. Take tin foil off and broil for 5-10 minutes to finish. Yum
 


johnr

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The key to a delicious duck is time, you must put plenty of effort into the season, brine, and regret. Once your meal is prepared, that’s when you must be most diligent and prepare the waste basket for the delivery of your aweful hunted meal. Pretend it’s anus, it will taste better
 

CatDaddy

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Time to call the Chinese.......They can tell you how to cook a duck from hatchling to adult!
 

NodakBuckeye

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I sometimes cold smoke and then remove the breasts, skin left on and score skin, start in cold pan skin side down to let fat render and skin crisp. Meat should be medium rare. Like duckslayer and espringer noted, legs are tough medium rare and breasts stink at well done. I save the legs and thighs and confit them, I save the smoked carcasses and simmer them to make smoked duck and wild rice soup or similar. I also save hearts, livers and gizzards. Kids love the hearts grilled and make dirty rice with the liver and gizzards. Might make a pate this year.

Duck fat is awesome.
 
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8andcounting

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Best is to throw the mallard in the weeds and buy a beef steak . That is all
 

LBrandt

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I sometimes cold smoke and then remove the breasts, skin left on and score skin, start in cold pan skin side down to let fat render and skin crisp. Meat should be medium rare. Like duckslayer and espringer noted, legs are tough medium rare and breasts stink at well done. I save the legs and thighs and confit them, I save the smoked carcasses and simmer them to make smoked duck and wild rice soup or similar. I also save hearts, livers and gizzards. Kids love the hearts grilled and make dirty rice with the liver and gizzards. Might make a pate this year.

Duck fat is awesome.
Question? What do you do with the Quack?
 


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