Waterfowl Recipes

By Matt Porter, Education Committee

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s May, 2022 Newsletter edition.

The jolt of the morning alarm clock wakes you from your sleep. You rise from the comforts of your bed with tremendous anticipation of the morning events to come. You’ve slipped into your hide, the stage is set, and the first flights of the day buzz close overhead to the point where your anticipation has grown so much that you can’t help but smile or give an excited raise of your brows to your partner nearby. Your dopamine rush peaking during the first few successful harvests of the morning. This pure exposure of the events leading up to the harvest of fowl during the hunting season is enough to keep most coming back, regardless of the number of birds taken home.

Now the hunt is over, and the question remains, what to do with your harvest? You’re excited for the next hunt but maybe not as excited for the same old everyday recipes. That same rush you felt on the hunt can be felt all over again when it comes to bringing your harvest from the field to the table.

This new short series recipe corner of WWA’s newsletter that we’re rolling out during the off season will spark your interest to get back out into the field this fall and also peak your excitement to try something new for yourself and to share with others.

During the next few months the WWA Newsletter will include a couple of tested and tried waterfowl recipes to add to your repertoire.  If you have a recipe to share and would like us to publish here, we’ll happily keep the series going into the fall. Please send your submissions to Matt Porter at WWARecipeCorner@gmail.com.  In the meantime, take a look in your freezer for some of last season’s harvest and try a couple of new recipes!

DUCK AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 duck breasts, cubed, fat removed
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 cups prepared wild rice
  • 1 cup game stock
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • ¼ cup Panko crumbs
  • ¼ tsp. fresh thyme leaves

ALSO WORKS WITH

Any waterfowl or upland bird breasts

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Cast iron pan

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. While you’re waiting, bring a cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan to medium-high heat on the stove top. Add two small squares of duck fat or a teaspoon of oil to the pan. Add the duck breast cubes and lightly sear the meat.
  2. Stir in the butter and mushrooms. Season with the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes or until the mushrooms absorb the oil. Mix in the wild rice and sprinkle in the flour.
  3. Allow the ingredients to brown for a couple minutes with the flour. Then whisk in the stock and heavy whipping cream and allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes as the sauce thickens.
  4. Once the sauce thickens, remove the pan from heat and sprinkle the cheese on top, followed by the Panko and fresh thyme leaves. Place in the oven and allow the cheese and Panko to brown for approximately 10 minutes. Remove and serve.

 

DUCK RUEBEN SANDWICH

INGREDIENTS

Duck Brine

  • 4-6 duck breasts, skin on
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup coarse kosher salt
  • 3 tsp. #1 pink curing salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ¼ cup pickling spice mix
  • Optional spices: fennel seed, dried herbs, dried mushrooms, cardamom

Duck Braise

  • Brined duck breasts
  • 1 quart water or game stock
  • ½ cup each carrot, celery, onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ¼ cup pickling spice blend
  • A few dried porcini mushrooms (optional)

Thousand Island Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup dill pickle relish
  • ¼ cup white onion, minced
  • 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire
  • ½ tsp. coarse kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. cracked black pepper

Rueben Sandwiches

  • Brined and slow-cooked duck breasts
  • Sauerkraut
  • Pumpernickel bread
  • Pepperjack cheese
  • Swiss cheese
  • Thousand Island dressing (store-bought or homemade)
  • Duck fat or butter

ALSO WORKS WITH

Any gamebird with red meat

PREPARATION

  1. Combine all of the brine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes then remove the brine and chill it in the refrigerator. Transfer the brine to a covered plastic container, add the duck breasts, and leave it in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You might need to place something heavy over the duck to keep everything fully submerged in the brine.
  2. Once the duck breasts are brined, place them in a crockpot or slow cooker with all of the slow cooked duck ingredients. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Strain the liquid then cover the duck with the liquid, allowing it to cool in the refrigerator.
  3. Next, make the sauce. I like making my own Thousand Island. It’s easy and can go on everything from veggies to burgers. Combine the dressing ingredients and stir well. Cover and let it sit in the fridge.
  4. Remove the fat from the chilled breast meat and cut into large chunks. In a sauté pan on high heat, add a tablespoon of duck fat (cooking oil or butter will work too). Add enough meat and sauerkraut for your desired amount of sandwiches and sear until heated through and crispy. Finally, add a tablespoon or two of the Thousand Island and toss everything together in the pan. Remove the pan from heat.
  5. Place a cast iron or large sauté pan over medium heat. Slather a healthy amount of butter on the outside of the pumpernickel bread. Start with swiss cheese, add some dressing, then place the corned duck and sauerkraut on top and finish with pepperjack. Sear both sides of the reuben until the cheese has melted and the outside is crispy. Slice and serve with extra sauce for dipping.
  6. If you want gravy with the meal, you can thicken the strained crockpot jus with a light roux. And if you’re looking for a really crispy finish to the bread, toss the sandwiches into an oven at 450°F or a toaster oven on high for 5 to 10 minutes.

 

GOOSE GUMBO

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. duck or goose meat
  • ½ lb. andouille sausage
  • ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • ¼ heaping cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 rib of celery, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • Creole or Cajun seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s
  • 2 cups frozen or fresh-cut okra
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 servings of cooked white rice
  • Chopped green onion

ALSO WORKS WITH

Any waterfowl

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Large pot

PREPARATION

  1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-low heat. When oil warms, whisk in all-purpose flour and cook the roux until its color is somewhere between milk chocolate and dark chocolate, stirring often. This could take up to 40 minutes. Take it off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remember, the roux will continue to brown after you take it off the heat. You don’t want to burn it.
  2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add diced onion to the warm roux and turn the heat to medium. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until onion becomes soft. Then add diced green bell pepper, carrot, and celery, and sauté for another 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in an oven-proof pot, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil. Gradually stir in the roux and vegetable mixture. Add duck meat and andouille sausage. Stir in Creole seasoning to taste. If the roux breaks, don’t worry—it will emulsify in the oven. Bring the pot back to a simmer, cover, and cook in a 300-degree oven for 2 to 3 hours or until the duck becomes tender and shred-able.
  4. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in cut okra and simmer until tender. The okra will thicken the gumbo—add more or less according to taste. Fish out the duck meat, shred into bite-size pieces, and return to the pot. Discard bones if any. Season the gumbo to taste before serving. If you serve the gumbo with rice, slightly over-salt the stew. Garnish with chopped green onion.