Duck Recipes?

[Gone Hiking]

A local grocery store had whole frozen ducks, which is very unusual, and since I've never made duck I bought the smallest (6.5#) one to try. I've been scouring recipes online, but haven't found one I love. Does anyone have any suggestions? Part of me wants to just spatchcock the thing, season, and throw it on the smoker like I do with chickens, but something tells me there must be a great, classic French recipe for whole duck that I need to try.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Well I suppose there's canard a la presse. Bit complicated, perhaps. No, on second thoughts, really complicated.
Just as a thought, I pulled out a book called "The Cookery of England", by Elizabeth Ayrton.
I found roast duck, duck a l'orange, duck in port, duck with green peas and roast duck with cucumbers, from a 1747 recipe. Might be interesting, although you might need to adjust the flavours a bit.

 

[badjak]

Peking duck?

Or take the thing to pieces and then the classic duck breast, seared on the fat side first, served rare.
The remainder briefly on the smoker?

Or Balinese duck? Bebek something. I'll find it just now

Bebek betutu...
More duck recipes here: Ayam - poultry - Page #51 (scroll down a little)

 

[badjak]

And keep the fat!
Potatoes fried in duck fat are absolutely delicious

 

[medtran49]

Cut it up and do something with the breasts and confit the leg quarters.

I've cooked duck breasts and served with a spicy cherry chutney, and also with a blackberry compote, both served with a simple rice pilaf or wild rice blend, and a green vegetable of some kind. Haven't tried it, but supposedly duck is great with a chocolate based sauce.

You can make cassoulet with the confit duck legs or sear them off, then make a pan sauce with red wine and shallots like I had at a high end chef owned/operated place we visit from time to time pictured and rest of dish described at What did you cook or eat today (September 2021)?

 

[Barriehie]

Never bought one from a store but the ones we hunted we seasoned and roasted. Not fancy but still good. Wild ones don't have much fat so they're lean on the gravy and you're eating your way around #8 shot...

 

[medtran49]

Cook's Country is making roasted duck with a blackberry sauce right now on TV. Season 18 episode 9.

Slow-Roasted Ducks with Blackberry Sauce | America's Test Kitchen

I copied the recipe, but have not rewritten to avoid copyright issues, so if anyone wants, it will have to be via DM.

 

[TastyReuben]

I’ll look for it later, but Alton Brown cooked a duck on one of his Good Eats Christmas episodes.

 

[Barriehie]

I’ll look for it later, but Alton Brown cooked a duck on one of his Good Eats Christmas episodes.

Alton Brown! We've got every one of those episodes, on VHS no less, up at the big house.

 

[TastyReuben]

Here it is:

Recipes and Global Dishes | Food Network UK

 

[Gone Hiking]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I wound up going with Julia Child's Duck A L'Orange recipe tonight. I was worried it would be too sweet, but wanted to try a classic, and it actually was pretty good. Being my first experience with duck, I was surprised at how little meat there was on the carcass vs. chicken, though!

 

[TastyReuben]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I wound up going with Julia Child's Duck A L'Orange recipe tonight. I was worried it would be too sweet, but wanted to try a classic, and it actually was pretty good.

Did you enjoy it enough to think about your next duck recipe?

 

[Gone Hiking]

Did you enjoy it enough to think about your next duck recipe?

I'd love to try duck confit next!

 

[TastyReuben]

I'd love to try duck confit next!

That’ll lead you right to some delicious cassoulet. Perfect for winter!

 

[Gone Hiking]

That’ll lead you right to some delicious cassoulet. Perfect for winter!

Another one on my list, though Mrs. GH does not like sausage. I wish there were a better way to rephrase that...