Need Help with Duck!

You probably don't want to smoke wild duck as it is very lean and will dry out. If you do smoke it wrap it with bacon and brine it ahead of time.

A few of my friends and I had this dish at Emeril's restaurant NOLA down in New Orleans and a week after, the chef was kind enough to provide the recipe. It is a bit of work on the preparation side, but very sweet and tasty in the end.

I usually run the smoker at 225/250 with other things in there and have found the only adjustment at a higher temp is to check the skin towards the end, if it starts getting to dark, just put foil over the top.

Smoked Duck Recipe

Brine
1 5-6 lb pecking duck with trimmed of neck fat, wing tips and tail
1 gal of water
1 cup kosher salt
1 ½ cup brown sugar
12 cloves garlic
3 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary

Glaze
1 cup of Steen's cane syrup
½ cup of honey
1 tbsp of black pepper
1/8 cup hot sauce
½ cup bourbon
Bring all ingredients to a light boil at medium heat and reduce until it
coats the back of a spoon

Method:
Bring all brine ingredients (except duck) to a boil and dissolve salt and
sugar. Turn off heat and allow to cool at room temperature. Place duck in a
brine and make sure duck is fully submerged. Let it sit refrigerated
overnight minimum of 12 hours.

Take duck out of brine and put into a pot of boiling water, with duck fully
submerged, for 7-8 minutes. This will render off some fat and open the duck
pours

Take the duck out of the boiling water with tongs and place on a sheet pan.
Take already prepared duck glaze and rub the ducks skin completely. This
may take 2 or 3 rounds to get the glaze into the skin. You must do this
while the duck is still warm. The duck should now be light brown in color.
Refrigerate the duck overnight uncovered so that it can dry. The next day
smoke the duck for 5-6 hours at 190-210 degrees.

Here is how I usually do mine... It is easy, you can marinate overnight or you can just put it in the marinade for a few seconds, just depends on what kind of time you have on your hands.

Duck breast, cut into bite size cubes
Onion, cut into quarters
Bell Pepper, cut into quarters
Bacon, optional
Dales Seasoning Marinade
Toothpicks

Marinate duck in Dales Seasoning Marinade before or after you place on toothpicks. Soak your toothpicks in water, put a piece of onion on, then duck, then bell pepper. Wrap bacon around (optional). Place the little skewers on the grill, just don't over cook. You can also do the same thing with goose. This is easy and pretty quick to do. I believe you will like this. You can also sprinkle some brown sugar on them after they are on the grill if you like, doesn't hurt... Hope you enjoy!!

The hardest part about duck is rending all the fat. I can do this in the oven, but have had trouble with the smoker for some unknown reason. I keep going to higher heat to do so. Here is a different (successful) method for breasts:



It is described here:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1650047

With duck, do NOT overcook! If it is more than rare or medium rare, the meat tastes like liver!

What internal temp is best for duck?

Here's my 2 cents. I have smoked duck and I have grilled duck. The grilled duck is slightly better and Much faster.

I use a marinade for both using OJ, garlic, teriyaki, etc., no salt. I do this for 24 hours. On both, I score the skin to help render the fat but don't cut too deep and thus into the breast.

I smoke at 280° and an internal of 165°. About 50 minutes per pound.

Here's the last smoked duck I did:



Also, for anyone who has not eaten wild duck, chew slowly as it is not uncommon to find some shot in a bight every so often.

My advice, if you can, grill them, quartered. The charred skin comes into play that way as well. I love duck I must admit.

Wild Duck is MUCH leaner than commercial processed duck.IF they REALLY want smoked duck,I would cold smoke a bit then grill to rare/med rare.It will dry out in a flash.Brining will help.It also makes a BIG difference how the wild duck was processed.Is it skinless breasts or skin on breast or whole skin on duck? ALL of these require different approaches when cooked.Need more info.Wild duck is great when cooked properly, but a very difficult cook. :wink:

Ive done some wild duck spatchcocked on the Argentinian open pit. I did them hot and fast about twelve inches off the coal bed. Med rare is best if you want them to stay juicy. I use oak and throw on some mesquite chunks so they pick up a little smoke flavor.

Very Nice! thinly sliced and fanned out makes for a nice presentation.

Not smoked but another good way is deep fried whole ducks in the turkey fryer. Just fantastic.

Or you could go ceazy and make Chinese Crispy Aromatic Duck. To die for!

Brine it in a simple brine overnight...drain..pepper the duck...let it rest for at least 6 hrs in the fridge..smoke with alder or cherry ( plum, etc.) at 325 for 30 min, reduce to 230 to finish. Let cool, tear apart with fingers, enjoy..This works particularily well with bluebills.

Rare/medium rare, slice, cube, etc....GEEZ! It's huntin' season and most folks never see a wild duck ( on the wing or table) in their life...certain things beg for the barbaric approach..and
leave the After Six tux and appetizers to them poor folks.

caliking said:

What internal temp is best for duck?

Click to expand...

just get it done, barely. DO NOT overcook..The thighs aren't big...depending
on the size of the bird...165 is likely the top end.

I have not smoked duck, but have grilled them. Beer can duck is a great way to fix them. If you are cooking breasts, quarter them and then wrap each piece with bacon. Love wild duck

I've marinated in some of that chinese duck marinade packets and have had pretty decent results before...



This breast was seasoned with soy, garlic, paprika, OJ, EVOO, pimento, thyme, rosemary and a touch of hoisin and that was also fantastic:



There are many ways to do duck. I treat it almost like game meat. I find it take strong flavors well. Well good luck with it, let us know how you did it and how it came out! :thumb:

Cheers

for starts make sure it is not a diving duck because they eat fish and taste horrible. second, take the ducks you have cut into small pieces, wrap duck pieces in onion, bell pepper,jalopeno pepper, and bacon. place pieces in a foil pan and cover in italian dressing and cajun seasoning of your choice. cook in the pan on the grill for 30 to 45 min, then take out of the pan and crisp the bacon. eat away!

bump
how did it turn out?