Invited the Mallards over for dinner

robertc

Eight Pointer
First of all, let me say, I have duck hunted on and off for 40 plus years, so I'm not considered the new wave Duck Commander crew.

Saturday I was fortunate enough to take a pair of mallards. Now I have eatten duck time and time again however, I've never thought it was delicious. It was okay but not nothing to Rave about.

I have been watching the sporting Chef show on The Outdoor Channel. He made a raspberry, balsamic vinegar, sauce to go over his grilled duck breast. I also found in the DU magazine a brine recipe utilizing salt, brown sugar, and pickling spices.

Yesterday evening, I put the duck breast in my cast iron grill pan and seared the skin side to a nice brown color. I then flipped it over to the other side for a few more minutes. I cook the breast to a rare medium rare consistency.

It took a little doing to talk my wife into trying it because she said it look raw to her at first. She loved it. I have to say, this duck was like eating filet mignon. It is undoubtedly the best I have ever ate.

As Chef Scott Leysath said, if you don't like duck, you must not be cooking it right.
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Thomas270

Ten Pointer
That looks great. I can attest to the quote "if you don't like duck, you must not be cooking it right." I have been trying to like duck for 15-16 years, and while I've come close a few times, I just ate it because I killed it. It has not been my favorite. Although just this year that all changed, my buddies dad beats the duck breast with a heavy mallet, does a 30 minute A1 marinade, grills it for a few minutes and man oh man, I could eat 5 pounds of it cooked that way.
 

robertc

Eight Pointer
I'm not claiming this recipe as my own although I wish I had. Out of all of the duck and geese I have ate most have been marinated and some type of soy-based sauce. Other than the brine, only salt, pepper and garlic was added. Without the sauce, it was like eatting a fine cut a filet mignon.

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nekkedducker

Ten Pointer
Biggest turn off for people and any wild game is over cooking, especially waterfowl. Quick sear on each side is all you need. Leaving the skin on also takes it to another level as well.

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darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I love it. My wife and I would eat it twice week if we weren’t trying to mak it. She is not a wild game eater but she will tell you in a heart beat that mallards cooked rare/med rare are the closest thing to a beef fillet you’ll find. If you like your beef cooked rare to med rare, and you don’t like a mallard, then you’ve ruined it in the cooking process or someone else ruined it before you ate it because it’s as close to beef as you can get IMO.
With that said, I wouldn’t feed it to a stray dog if cooked past med rare. Throw it in the trash.
 

Snake Oil

Four Pointer
Darkthirty is right. The only way to ruin duck is to overcook it. Venison too. Keep it rare and it's delicious!
 
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