Mallards for Dinner (Warning Graphic Pics)

[Tropical Chook]

OP, I took two Muscovy ducks on and both turned out to be drakes. I also ended up not liking them much, and when both became hell bent on trying to rape my largest hen, I decide it was time to intervene. That drake was the finest home raised meal I've ever had. The second one is still with us, but not for long. I was so impressed by the quality of the meat, and also the quantity, that I am determined to get some more, but I will be making a separate run for them first. All my chickens are Shamos and Thai games, and the roosters take forever to mature. For me, raising ducks for meat is far better value for money. The Muscovies fill out in a fraction of the time, and one duck has the same amount of meat as two chickens do. No, I don't like the ducks, but they are so worthwhile as far as growing your own food is concerned.

 

[PurpleChicken]

The most offensive thing about this entire thread is the lack of recipes. Mmmmmmmmm ducccckkkkkkkk.

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Quote:
ok

This is what I am making for dinner tomorrow (recipe found here http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zduck47.html)

Best Way Mallards

~ 2 whole mallards, skin on (I am not using the ones without skin)
~ 2 apples
~ 2 medium onions
~ 1/2 cup water or wine
~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup
~ 1 can cream of celery soup
~ 2 bay leaves
~ garlic salt
~ black pepper
~ lemon pepper seasoning
~ long grain wild rice

Cut an apple and onion in half and stuff them into one of the ducks. Repeat process with other duck.

Place them in a crockpot and season liberally with the garlic salt and pepper. Season to taste with the lemon pepper.

In a bowl, mix the water and soups together. Pour mixture over the ducks.

Add the bay leaves and cover.

Cook on low 6 – 8 hours or until meat starts separating from the breast plate. Remove.

Strain the juices into a sauce pan and thicken with flour or corn starch for gravy.

Remove the meat from the bones and discard the apples, onions and bay leaves.

Serve over long grain wild rice with the gravy on top.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Oh YUMMMMMMM

Those Mallards should be really good since they are young and well fed. That recipe calls for slow cooking because most mallards are wild and therefore a little gamey.


YUMMMMMMM

 

[ultasol]

Quote:
It does rot to see but it is life-it is very sad when you have to butcher chickens or ducks or any living creature for that matter especially if you have raised from hatchlings-I never thought I could do it-ever! But a couple years later and alot of roos under my belt and just did 24 turkeys Sat-you sort of look at your livestcok differently. Just like the folks who butcher their old laying hens-I just cannot and will not do it-IMO ONLY folks those girls have given me alot of beautiful gifts for so long -they have become pets to me. They can live out their lives in retirement not having to be my dinner

. The extra roos go for food-my family will NOT eat them-so I cook them down and use the stock for cooking the meat I make a huge rice veggie recycled meat meal for my chickens in Winter on those freezing mornings-high protein warmer upper You can advertise on CL for free so someone else can butcher them and do the deed for themselves-I do know of traveling butchering units-they charge anywhere from 1.75-3.50 per bird and return them to you all clean processed and vacuum sealed...You can call your local TSC or feed store and give roosters to-I know alot of people who do that and they sell them to people! I just dont have ANYTHING like what I mentioned above near me so I have to do it or else I would have had 30+ roosters heading into winter! I cannot take on anymore male ducks ,so as much as I want to hatch some Im going to buy females instead and save me the heartache of wondering what the heck I will do with extra duck boys..

Exactly. If you are going to raise birds you get to a point where you can only have SO many roosters or SO many drakes without impacting the health and well-being of your hens and other cocks/cockerels. Although it can be hard, I prefer to do them at home, myself, rather than take them elsewhere to be processed as they never undergo the stress of travel or of being handled by strangers. I've done geese, chickens, and ducks. The geese were the hardest for me emotionally, but you only need so many ganders.....

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
ok

This is what I am making for dinner tomorrow (recipe found here http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zduck47.html)

Best Way Mallards

~ 2 whole mallards, skin on (I am not using the ones without skin)
~ 2 apples
~ 2 medium onions
~ 1/2 cup water or wine
~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup
~ 1 can cream of celery soup
~ 2 bay leaves
~ garlic salt
~ black pepper
~ lemon pepper seasoning
~ long grain wild rice

Cut an apple and onion in half and stuff them into one of the ducks. Repeat process with other duck.

Place them in a crockpot and season liberally with the garlic salt and pepper. Season to taste with the lemon pepper.

In a bowl, mix the water and soups together. Pour mixture over the ducks.

Add the bay leaves and cover.

Cook on low 6 – 8 hours or until meat starts separating from the breast plate. Remove.

Strain the juices into a sauce pan and thicken with flour or corn starch for gravy.

Remove the meat from the bones and discard the apples, onions and bay leaves.

Serve over long grain wild rice with the gravy on top.

Good golly I am HUNGRY......... Why dis-guard the apples?????? I would eat them too!

 

[desertdarlene]

When I was young, in Michigan, there were turkey farms where you could pick out live turkeys and wait to have them slaughtered. I don't know if they do that here in California, but I'm sure there's someone in our county that would process a duck or chicken for me humanely and show me how to do it (if I want to do that). Right now, I'm not into eating duck that much and chicken is falling out of favor, too. But, turkeys are fine.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I love duck, I did some Pekins last year and they were sooo good. I love the greasy texture, makes them slide right down lol.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

A LONG time ago I processed a couple ducks, stuffed them full of veggies and put them in a big pan in the oven, and they were TO DIE FOR DELICIOUS!

 

[Liamm_1]

Quote:
your pics give me inspiration to process my birds when the time comes, don't you worry what others say