Duck Responsibilities (aka Slaughtering Our First Duck)

[greyfields]

As much as I love ducks, it's a shame not to eat them. Especially the skin. :0

 

[dangerouschicken]

Maybe it was just his recipe? There are still the legs and back left, lots of skin on that still. Maybe a citrus flavor so it's not so "ducky" for him?

Any suggestions?

GREYFIELDS.... my Puget Island friend.... how do you guys cook duck?

 

[greyfields]

In our Aga.

Duck I think is a bit of an aquired taste, being 'gamey' the first few times you try it. I really wanted to eat duck because I felt it was moral to find at least some of your meals from the "hedgerow". But at first, it was just too strong for me.

So, to get used to it, I started with a lot of sweet sauces to counteract the strong flavor. So, I remember doing a reduction of port with honey in it the first time. The second time was cranberries with honey. Once I got over the fact it wasn't boneless, skinless chicken breast, I actually crave the flavor now.

But, honestly, the only way to win someone over to waterfowl is to make a duck leg confit. I drool just thinking about it. You probably can find some great ideas here, too:

http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-C...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211612325&sr=8-1

 

[dangerouschicken]

Duck leg confit was the reason we raised ducks to begin with (it's like duck bacon or something, it makes everything taste good), but because it is sooooooo fattening, my husband is having a hard time justifying making it. Yeah, it is strong. Like most meat from the farm, it tastes sort of like the animal smells. Goat milk, to me, tastes like you licked the side of a billy goat. Lamb is very sheepy (hence the mint jelly). Duck is ducky, and that is not always pleasant for some people. I am with Miss P and the peking duck flavor. I think that is perfection, along with duck a l'orange.

Maybe I will cook the legs myself, if he can't deal with the duckiness.

Honey and cranberries sounds like something I would like

Edited to add: Ruhlman! I read that guy's blog!

 

[greyfields]

Ruhlman cracks me up. He's on Bourdain's show and they're always bickering over how crappy Cleveland is and who is actually the worse chef. The funnier thing is we had that book for like a year before even noticing it was partially written by him. We were howling with laughter. Small world I guess, that among retro eaters.

Did I actually hear the term duck bacon? Why has no one thought of that sooner?

 

[lexustami]

One of our ducks sustained a broken leg the other day after being stepped on by a horse. We decided to butcher it so we could eat it instead of just tossing it away.

What a disappointment. There was no meat on his bones. There was a breast bone with a real thin strip of meat and then skin.

I was in disbelief. Surely there had to be something wrong with this duck so I called my brother who is a seasoned duck hunter. He told me that is normal and it usually takes around 10 ducks to feed a couple of people.

At least the dogs ate well that night.

Take care,

Tami

 

[greyfields]

My ducks dress out around 8 lbs.

I'd love to see someone eat ten of them.

 

[lexustami]

Quote:
Mine was a Rouen, about 10 months old. They are also free range and don't get any other supplemental food during the warmer months. He hunts wild mallards in Florida so I'm sure this makes a difference.

What kind of ducks do you have? I may consider raising some meat ducks next year.

Take care,

Tami

 

[greyfields]

Silver Appleyards

Pekins are the standard, though, and gain very well.

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

I had the problem with the "ducky" taste with the first few ducks we tried, then I read on a hunting website to soak the duck in a saltwater solution, or "brine" for 24 hrs. it removes the blood, tenderizes, and takes away the gamey taste, and it makes them mouthwateringly delicious!!! mmmmm mmmm good ducky!!!
dangerouschicken, I have 3 ducks left that I won't eat, I guess I will have to get more so I can raise them for food without names!!! lol but really, try the soak, it works!!

BTW, my ducks have lots of meat. and they free rangefor most of their food, maybe you had a skinny duck, lexustami!