It can be though getting anyone to try new things, but if your friends/in-laws/captive children present themselves, subject them to a little wild food, especially if you hunted the duck yourself. That is if nothing else spectacular dinner conversation. Give it a try, at least one of your guests will like the unique flavor the duck presents, and will want these culinary art recipes you have to offer in the future.

This is even easier than fifteen minutes, take your duck to the smokehouse and have them smoke it.  I spend more time arranging cheeses and crackers on a plate than actually fussing with the meat, which I simply slice and stick on said cracker.  Everyone loves this as a quick snack, and they are big at fancy parties because the smoked duck breast is over ten dollars a pound in the grocery store.

Unlike the previous recipe, you will use domestic instead of wild fowl for this dish, they are larger and the sauce covers the muddy taste of the domestic raised bird, which I typically abhor. This dish is all about the sauce, which I recommend you make yourself. Garnish these guys with sliced green onions as well, and don’t overcook the duck, that makes it mushy and poor tasting. Don’t get the idea to roast it in the crock pot either, which for sure will ruin the meat. If you don’t like the sauce overpowering the meat, add it after you remove the bird from the heat and don’t soak it before hand in the marinade.

First and foremost, duck is good to go at 160 degrees, if you overcook it, it will be shoe leather and no one will be impressed.  Also, fresh mushrooms please, a raw one should crumble in your hands and be dry, crisp, and not at all flexible.  Shallots are not hard to find in my area (Western Washington) but cook them only long enough to soften, but not long enough to caramelize.  Crust the duck with herbs, salt, and homemade butter.  The butter will brown the skin, and give it a very appealing color.  Wild duck is a must for this dish, don’t even bother attempting it with a farm raised one, the flavor is nowhere near the same.