I like Redheads, Teal, Canvasback, Mallards, Gadwalls, Spoonys, Blue Bills, and Whistlers.

Mostly I like to PANKO fry the breasts in 50/50 Olive oil/unsalted butter.

Livers I like PANKO fried too. Hearts are best when the bird hits the water/blind. Yes, I like them raw.

Then there are Sandhill Cranes. Too bad the limit down here is only two per day. I love Sandhill. The raw hearts are sweet and tender. Absolutely fabulous. For the faint of heart-pun intended-all duck, goose, & crane hearts and gizzards can be cooked down in tomato sauce for several hours as one might for a homemade spaghetti sauce and they are delicious! I prefer crane breasts either whole or sliced and pan seared the same way one would cook an expensive ribeye-on the raw side of medium rare.

Andy B

Having struggled as a teenager to find a duck recipe that didn't leave the meat tasting like something a possum would pass up, I made a point of talking to my grandmother and any other elder that had eaten a lot of duck during their lifetime. I came to the conclusion that there are uncountable recipes for preparing delicious waterfowl meals. It's all in personal taste but I find most all ducks to be excellent if prepared properly and cooked correctly. Again, it's all about personal taste. Some love a wild or gamey flavor (taste like liver) and some do not. For me, I do not like a gamey flavor in any waterfowl so my dishes avoid that. Fried breast strips (duck or goose) or baked goose fillets are my favorite. For those who are searching for a traditional recipe, look up Kamo Gari's pictorial on his cast iron skillet recipe. I don't remember which forum he posted it on but doing a search should pull it up.

Teal for ducks and for geese, I had a smoked Brant about 20 years ago that was delicious.

Rosy bills from Argentina ,best duck i ever tasted .

Cotton teal (pygmey goose) in India - tiny bird of about 400 or 500 grams weight live.

Blue winged teal & Spot Billed duck - India

Mallard & grey Duck - New Zealand

Remove breasts and thigh meat.

Marinate in 0.25 tsp turmeric, ginger & garlic. Fry the meat pieces in butter & oil mix (or ghee) to sear it. Fry 3 or 4 onions until well browned but not burnt. Cook the duck meat with the onions & 1 cup chicken stock, salt & pepper. You can also bake in oven for 2 hours and then add the onions and cook for a while.

Variation with soy sauce is good too.

I have to agree with Juan.

They all have their ups and downs... A diver early in the season that hasn't got a chance to get grubbing in the mud is pretty tasty... A teal (that otherwise would have been a great treat) that has been in the marsh for a months going to be a little muddy tasting... All that said... I love teal and woodies and wigeon for eating where I normally hunt. Although the best duck I think I've ever shot were mallards in Idaho that had been in barley fields for a few weeks. The taste was like grass fed beef...

Here's a recipe that we like to tame any duck flavor...

Breast your ducks... If the ducks are mallard size cut the breast into 3rds... If their Wigeon size into halves, Teal size leave the whole breast...

Create a Marinade
>1/2 cup soy
>3/4 cup olive oil
>3 Tablespoons Honey
>2 Tablespoon Ground Ginger
>2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
>3-4 chopped green onions

Mix it until it turns caramel color before you pour it on the meat. Marinate overnight (or less if time doesn't permit) and make sure you shake it up a couple of times while marinating- for best results.

Wrap with cheap thin bacon and add a pineapple and/or pickled jalepeno slice...

Grill until medium rare and bacon is crispy... The worst thing you can do is overcook duck. Over cooked duck of any kind taste like liver to me!

Enjoy!!

Why is bacon used here???.....makes everything taste like bacon.

quote:

Originally posted by conifer:
Why is bacon used here???.....makes everything taste like bacon.

Well wild ducks are low on fat. I love them just grilled with a simple marinade but most guests I feed wild game to want don't like dryness in meat. Lets just say it makes it easier to keep the non purist happy. And I shoot way too many to eat all myself... just my $0.02...

Andrew, you have discovered my secret 'panty' marinade !
I discovered it in college and used it on WT backstrap that I cooked for young ladies.
They thought it was filet mignon ! Then, Welllll off came the panties !
The neighbors wife loves it for wild game, BUT did not like the name.
She now calls it brown suger surprise.
I use brown suger instead of honey and fresh pressed garlic. I'll also add some red wine on occasion.
TAS would probably approve !