Cooking duck? Need help!

[blazinfire]

So I had a strange request from the wife! She wanted to try duck! Well It so happened I walked into Wal-mart and got a decent deal on frozen duck with the turkey's.

I have no idea how to cook a duck. I could follow the directions on the package. But I also have a smoker (Offset and WSM). Anybody have suggestions? Whats the best way to season it? Rub mixtures? I might wanna buy a specific rub for this online due to not having good variety of rubs where I live!

 

[long haired hippie]

Spatchcok 'er and season just like a yard bird.

A fruity wood is nice. Apple perhaps?

Take your time, there's a lot of fat to render out of dem titties.

When I had my trucking outfit I used to haul a bunch o' ducks out of Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana.

Funny how a few loads came up short .....

 

[ShencoSmoke]

here is my go-to for everything game related. This site has never let me down....
http://honest-food.net/2011/12/27/how-to-make-smoked-duck/

 

[blazinfire]

Spatchcok 'er and season just like a yard bird.

A fruity wood is nice. Apple perhaps?

Take your time, there's a lot of fat to render out of dem titties.

When I had my trucking outfit I used to haul a bunch o' ducks out of Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana.

Funny how a few loads came up short .....

Only problem I have with this is I don't have any fruity woods at the moment. Only Red Oak and Hickory! I figure I'll leave the bird whole stuff it with oranges, spices, and other stuff. and season it with salt/pepper/garlic.

Any reason to inject? I watched a video where someone Poked holes through the skin so the fat could render out better. Is this a good idea?

 

[Fwismoker]

Cook just like any yard bird BUT you have to cut small slits in the fatty areas of the skin to let the grease drain away. This is a must do!!! If you have a jaccard then that will work great.

 

[long haired hippie]

If you're cooking the bird whole, then yes, definitely prick the skin. But if spatchcocked, like I suggested, pricking or slits aren't needed. The skin is already separated and will allow the fat to drain out.

I can't see a reason to get out the syringe...Dem ducks are pretty juicy.

Which reminds me:

M R Ducks​

M R Not​

O S A R​

C M Wangs​

L I B​

M R Ducks​

 

[Porcine Aviator]

In addition to the foregoing suggestions, You will find that hanging the duck in your refer for three days helps remove excess fat.

Put a few small slits or punctures in the skin, add your rub, and hang with a pan underneath for three days.

 

[KC Smoke]

I'm thinking to definitely save the rendered fat. I've never done this but I can imagine some pretty amazing things coming from smoked duck fat. Fries anyone?

 

[Groundhog66]

I'm thinking to definitely save the rendered fat. I've never done this but I can imagine some pretty amazing things coming from smoked duck fat. Fries anyone?

You'd need to smoke quite a few ducks, to get enough rendered fat to make fries. :laugh:

 

[minAL]

I cook a lot of duck (we killed 900 last year, legally I might add). My favorite way is to cook whole. Stuff cavity with orange slices and onion, salt and pepper liberally and cook at low temperature and indirect. Every so often baste with clarified butter. Pull when still red/pink next to bone. Rest and dip in clarified butter to eat.

I've never cooked tame duck, so I have not had to deal with excess fat. However I cant imagine that it would be a problem with this method.

If I'm not mistaken, the only problem with excess fat is you can't get crispy skin. I would leave the skin intact because I love the little bit of fat I get from wild ducks and with this method you are not going to get skin crispy anyway.

In my experience, the fat pools in the thighs and makes them heavenly. Good luck!

 

[lantern]

I cook a lot of duck (we killed 900 last year, legally I might add). My favorite way is to cook whole. Stuff cavity with orange slices and onion, salt and pepper liberally and cook at low temperature and indirect. Every so often baste with clarified butter. Pull when still red/pink next to bone. Rest and dip in clarified butter to eat.

I've never cooked tame duck, so I have not had to deal with excess fat. However I cant imagine that it would be a problem with this method.

If I'm not mistaken, the only problem with excess fat is you can't get crispy skin. I would leave the skin intact because I love the little bit of fat I get from wild ducks and with this method you are not going to get skin crispy anyway.

In my experience, the fat pools in the thighs and makes them heavenly. Good luck!

As a card carrying LOVER of all things fat I understand your thinking here. But, unfortunately when I was younger and cooking my first store-bought duck I went with my fat loving instincts and didn't prick the skin which didn't give the fat anywhere to go. What I got was something I ate alone because nobody else would touch that much fat. The skin was another level of spongy stretchy chewing gum nightmare. Later I found out that wild ducks are MUCH leaner.


BTW, the way you eat wild duck sounds FLIPPING AWESOME!!!! Definitely going to do that the next time I get a shot at the wild variety.:thumb:

 

[CakeM1x]

I cook a lot of duck (we killed 900 last year, legally I might add). My favorite way is to cook whole. Stuff cavity with orange slices and onion, salt and pepper liberally and cook at low temperature and indirect. Every so often baste with clarified butter. Pull when still red/pink next to bone. Rest and dip in clarified butter to eat.

I've never cooked tame duck, so I have not had to deal with excess fat. However I cant imagine that it would be a problem with this method.

If I'm not mistaken, the only problem with excess fat is you can't get crispy skin. I would leave the skin intact because I love the little bit of fat I get from wild ducks and with this method you are not going to get skin crispy anyway.

In my experience, the fat pools in the thighs and makes them heavenly. Good luck!

Wild duck and store bought are very different imo and your method for wild duck looks spot on. Duck at the store is like 2x-3x fattier, lotsa fat!

 

[churrodog]

Malcolm Reed has a nice video on smoking duck that includes stuffing it with onions and oranges. I used his video in combination with this link

http://www.food.com/recipe/balsamic-orange-honey-maple-syrup-glazed-duck-110165

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3338428&postcount=4


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN3HWAIHPhQ"]Smoked Duck Recipe | How To Smoke A Whole Duck Malcom Reed HowToBBQRight - YouTube[/ame]

 

[blazinfire]

Malcolm Reed has a nice video on smoking duck that includes stuffing it with onions and oranges. I used his video in combination with this link

http://www.food.com/recipe/balsamic-orange-honey-maple-syrup-glazed-duck-110165

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3338428&postcount=4


Smoked Duck Recipe | How To Smoke A Whole Duck Malcom Reed HowToBBQRight - YouTube

This is the video I watched where he said to make sure to poke holes through the skin so the fat can render out of it! It seems pretty consistent that You must poke holes in the skin! This is the way I'm gonna prepare it when I do! Just not with the glazes he uses! I'm gonna make my own!

 

[blazinfire]

And thanks everyone for responding! Some helpful info for not knowing anything about cooking duck! I wouldn't of known it was pretty fatty compared to chicken/turkey1

 

[churrodog]

And thanks everyone for responding! Some helpful info for not knowing anything about cooking duck! I wouldn't of known it was pretty fatty compared to chicken/turkey1

Do everything you can to save the fat that drips off. Better than bacon fat and makes amazing fries.

 

[blazinfire]

Do everything you can to save the fat that drips off. Better than bacon fat and makes amazing fries.

I'm planning on smoking the duck. I've been a little cautious about drippings in the smoker! The last time I saved drippings from the smoker It turned out horrible! But I have heard this as well! I bet homefries would be awesome on the blackstone with a little duck fat

 

[Gore]

I've tried to smoke whole ducks a few times and not had great success. The problem is rendering the fat. Have no problem in the oven, but in the pit at the same temps, for some reason it doesn't work the same and haven't figured out why. What I've taken to doing is just cooking the breasts on the grill. This is a two-step process and it is painfully easy:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...7&postcount=35

Note that this could've spent a bit more time in the frying pan to render the fat a bit more.

The sauce is optional. We've done it with and without.

Duck cooked this way is best rare to medium rare. Cooked more, it tastes like liver. Note: this is a store-bought duck.

 

[deepsouth]

Prior to final preparation, which varies each time, I have been cooking my ducks sous vide and saving the fat each time. I should have a "one pound" container full after this next one this weekend (the third duck)!

I think final preparation this time will be either a duck and wild rice soup or a duck noodle soup with an Asian flair.