Need duck cooking advice

[bessiedog]

Got two big beauty mallards.... plucked... backs cut-split.... nice fat layer....plump

How on Earth can I get:

Crispy browned skin?
AND
Rare to med (meat NOT well) meat inside???


Please help me......

[Surly]

I don't think that you can have crispy skin and medium rare meat. You'd have to cook the bird on high temp to crisp up the skin which wouldn't allow for any fat to be rendered. I surmise that the skin would be burnt on the outside and fatty on the inside by the time the meat reaches its desired state.

I usually cook my ducks at around 290-300F for 3.5-4 hours to render all the fat. Then I apply glaze and finish off at around 400F which gives me extra crispy skin. The meat is well done yet moist and succulent.

Maybe you can try a torch on the skin once you cook the bird to medium rare. Cook the bird on low and then deal with the skin once the meat is done. Reverse searing a duck...

[walking buffalo]

First,

Let the duck rest for a few days, let the meat get out of rigor.

Yes, aging ducks and geese is just as valuable for waterfowl as it is big game.
There would be a lot less goose/duck jerky made if people relearned to age their waterfowl at least a few days.

----

My favorite duck recipe is just what you are looking to do.

Plucked Late season Mallard breast with lots of fat. Breastbone out.


What I do is simple, but it does take practice to get it just right.
And a stove that can put out a lot of heat.
My 1940 gas range does the job.
No idea if a modern stove could do it as well.

In a cast iron pan on High heat, add a bit of veg oil when the pan is Hot
then in with the breast flesh side down.
Cover with a lid 10% open to let out the steam.
You want the pan to stay dry.

Fry for a five (ish) minutes, until the flesh has a hard crust.

Flip to Skin side down, on high heat for a minute.

Lower the heat to med-high and fry for 5(ish) minutes.

Be sure that the steam is getting out. No liquid build up.
The lid has so far been used to keep the heat up and catch oil splatter...

Turn the heat back up to High and close the lid tight.

If you seared the duck properly, the juices will be staying in the breast, and the fat will be melting into the pan.

The pan and oil should be smoking now, literally.
This is good, now you are adding smoke to the meat.
You can even throw in a few chips of wood or spices to get their flavor too.

Sear and smoke for ten(ish) minutes, depending on thickness of the breast.

Remove the breast and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing, or served whole on a plate.
For me, the center meat should be med rare to rare.

When you get this right, it'll taste like hot juicy meaty and crispy duck bacon!

[270person]

Let them soak in Crown for a couple of days.

[Somehunter]

Ladel boiling water over the duck 8 or 9 times until it tightens the skin and semi cooks it. Let dry for an hour. This is how I start my Peking duck should work on a mallard with lots of fat.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

First,

Let the duck rest for a few days, let the meat get out of rigor.

Yes, aging ducks and geese is just as valuable for waterfowl as it is big game.
There would be a lot less goose/duck jerky made if people relearned to age their waterfowl at least a few days.

----

My favorite duck recipe is just what you are looking to do.

Plucked Late season Mallard breast with lots of fat. Breastbone out.


What I do is simple, but it does take practice to get it just right.
And a stove that can put out a lot of heat.
My 1940 gas range does the job.
No idea if a modern stove could do it as well.

In a cast iron pan on High heat, add a bit of veg oil when the pan is Hot
then in with the breast flesh side down.
Cover with a lid 10% open to let out the steam.
You want the pan to stay dry.

Fry for a five (ish) minutes, until the flesh has a hard crust.

Flip to Skin side down, on high heat for a minute.

Lower the heat to med-high and fry for 5(ish) minutes.

Be sure that the steam is getting out. No liquid build up.
The lid has so far been used to keep the heat up and catch oil splatter...

Turn the heat back up to High and close the lid tight.

If you seared the duck properly, the juices will be staying in the breast, and the fat will be melting into the pan.

The pan and oil should be smoking now, literally.
This is good, now you are adding smoke to the meat.
You can even throw in a few chips of wood or spices to get their flavor too.

Sear and smoke for ten(ish) minutes, depending on thickness of the breast.

Remove the breast and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing, or served whole on a plate.
For me, the center meat should be med rare to rare.

When you get this right, it'll taste like hot juicy meaty and crispy duck bacon!

That’s close to how we used to do duck breast in the restaurant.
Cooking it all the way or as far as possible in the frying pan works.
For whole duck we used to ***** the breast full of holes to let the fat out, 450degree oven with the convection fan running. The pan part is important to really brown it fast. Once it’s brow
ned and rare take it out of the hot oven and put in a cooler oven to finish.

It’s actually not easy to do what you’re thinking ...good luck!

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

That’s close to how we used to do duck breast in the restaurant.
Cooking it all the way or as far as possible in the frying pan works.
For whole duck we used to ***** the breast full of holes to let the fat out, 450degree oven with the convection fan running. The pan part is important to really brown it fast. Once it’s brow
ned and rare take it out of the hot oven and put in a cooler oven to finish.

It’s actually not easy to do what you’re thinking ...good luck!

Who said easy?

Yah, knowing your tools and practice helps.


I say a prayer every time I cook duck this way, not so much for the results, that has been pretty consistent,
but to remember to turn off the gas flame and step back when I take off the lid at the end.

As a dearly missed member used to say,

FIRE!

[hawk-i]

Nice fat Mallards and Geese like the ones you got are some of the best roasts you can make.

My long deceased Grandmother always soak them in a salt water solution for at least over night.

I've always done the same and when I hear guys saying make jerky or only take the breasts I always think, what a waste.

Duck should be roasted until the thigh pretty much separates with only cutting around the joint, the skin will be nice and crisp and the fat dripping!

Damn, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it..

[Faststeel]

marinate them skin side down in Gin, for some hours then bbq on charcoal. Gin some how seals things up and the meat is easily cooked to medium rare.....damn tasty crispy skin..

[Osky]

Bessie
In the Sask goose camp one year we had a chef from New York as a client who did snow geese and ducks on the griddle. Breasted, rubbed with olive oil, nothing more. Watch them closely and cook until hot pink at most inside.
Best we’ve ever had there simple as that was. He said never ever overcook wild game, less is better.
I know this is not the style you seek but maybe something for the future.

Osky.

[sns2]

I would breast the bird. Score breasts on skin side. Sous vide until rare. Hot pan. Baste with butter as skin is searing. Fresh stalk of rosemary never hurt in this affair either.

[ghostguy6]

I did one this year in a sous vide then crisped the skin in a searing hot bbq.The sugars from the marinade made the skin extra crispy. Best duck Ive ever eaten. I wished I bookmarked the recipe I used though.

[bessiedog]

Thanks for the ideas !

Well my boy decided to try his hand at them
Before I got home.... excellent marinade... high broil roasted... final 15 min sauce coating.


I’m a snackin on this stuff all evening!

Life’s pretty good

[RandyBoBandy]

Outstanding results by the looks of things

[Dean2]

That one turned out nice. Next one you may want to try deep frying them whole like you do Turkeys or whole chickens. You will have very crisp skin and you can have the meat as rare or well done as you like by adjusting cooking time. The deep frying keeps the meat very moist even at medium to medium well.

[Supergrit]

Sous vide cooking is good way to keep the meat rare. At least it has worked for me the two times I have tried it.

[midgetwaiter]

Cheat.

http://www.bookeranddax.com/searzall