wild duck recipes

[StangGT]

I've got 4 turning up shortly and wondered if anyone had any good ideas for their preparation?

Many thanks

[JayBM]

Do you know in what state they're coming to you? And how much effort/faff are you open to doing?

I decided to try and use as much of 2 wild mallards as I could a month or so ago; ended up with pan fried breast, confit leg and a duck neck sausage (using some of the leg meat and pork mince). Happy to post up a recipe of some kind if it's of interest?

[StangGT]

They're coming plucked and ready to go.

I had a couple at the weekend from a shoot I went on... I did all the prep myself (with daughter assisting) and they are a lot of work!

I tend to just roast them when I've had them before, using the heart/neck/crop for gravy and as a tasty snack for the chef.

Any other ideas welcome!

[JayBM]

I'm not sure if they'll come with the neck still attached but if they do you could try the below:

• Remove the legs and wings from the carcass
• This next step I don't always do and although it helps it's not critical; Cover the legs liberally with salt, pepper and thyme and leave to cure overnight.
• Set oven to 100C and place a tub of duck fat in an oven proof dish, which is just big enough for the duck legs.
• If you've cured the legs, wash thoroughly and dry well.
• Place legs in melted fat and cook for 3+ hrs or until meat is tender and falling off bone. You can then let these cool and use some for the sausage and reheat the others when you cook the breats.

For the sausage;

• Cut the neck off as close to the carcass as you can
• Using your fingers, thumb and a small sharp knife loosen the neck skin from the meat & spine.
• Once completely removed turn the skin inside out and using the sharp knife scrape any excess fat and glands from the inside of the skin. Turn the skin back the right way and set aside.
• For the sausage stuffing; I chop up some of the confit leg meat, add some pork mince, pistachios, thyme and season well.
• Tie off one end of the neck skin with butchers string and then stuff with the mixture, leaving enough room to tie off the other end. I didn't do the tying as I couldn't find my string, so I just twisted each end and then made sure the next step was really secure.
• Tear of a piece of foil that is about 2" longer than the sausage and wide enough to wrap around twice. Roll the sausage in this and then twist each end to form a really tight sphere.
• Cook in an 180C oven for between 25-35mins depending on how thick the sausage is.

It's then up to you whether you either remove the breasts and pan fry or roast them on the crown.

Hope that's of interest

And yep agree entirely, prepping ducks is a right faff.