duck adventures

Ryan brought home a mallard!

So I cooked it.  LOL

Oh my gosh, we had no idea what to do with it.  I asked several of my hunting buddies (thanks guys!) what they do with their fowl and did a bit of internet research myself.  Knowing Ryan likes chicken strips, and given the holiday festivities, I came up with this recipe:
Chicken-Fried Duck Strips with Cranberry Orange Sauce
by:  cvo & vano

Cleaning

Remove all feathers, fat, membranes, veins, & blood clots from the breasts.  Rinse thoroughly, washing off all blood.  Place in gallon-sized ziplock baggie and refrigerate while preparing brine.
Brine Recipe (2 breasts from 1 bird)

In mixing bowl, combine:

2 C          water
2 T          sea salt (not iodized)
2 T          brown sugar
1 T          ground black pepper
1             bay leaf – crushed
½ T         thyme
½ T         basil
½ T         sage
2             garlic cloves – chopped               zest of 1 orange

Pour into ziplock baggie with the duck & seal, making sure breasts are fully covered by the brine.  Then place in fridge for 24 hours.

Preparation

Remove breasts from baggie and rinse thoroughly under cold water.   Lay out on cutting board and, with sharp knife, cut into 1/8-1/4 inch thin slices.   

Breading & Frying

1 C          flour (or bread crumbs, or Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flours)
½ T         ground black pepper
1 T          butter
2-3 T       vegetable oil

Grab two small mixing bowls.  In one, stir together 1 cup flour with ½ T ground black pepper; in the other, pour ½ cup milk.  Dip duck slice into flour, then into milk, then back into flour, drenching totally.

When almost all duck strips are coated with flour, start heating skillet at med-high heat.  After skillet has been heating for a while, test for hotness by flicking water in the skillet.  If it sizzles & dances, it is ready for adding butter.

Add butter and melt until beginning to brown.  Then add vegetable oil until bottom of skillet is covered in oil.  Allow to heat until really hot.

Being very careful of splatters, lay duck strips in skillet of oil.  Fry about 3 minutes each side, or until cooked through and breading has turned golden brown.  Remove to plate and keep warm.
Sauce

½ C         red wine (port or any other red)
1 T          butter
2 T          brown sugar
2             oranges, juiced
1 T          flour
½ can      cranberry sauce
1 t           ground black pepper

Add red wine to pot, melt in butter, stir in brown sugar, and reduce slightly and stir occasionally.  Meanwhile, juice two oranges.  Mix 1 T flour with orange juice.  Stir into pot.  Add ½ can cranberry sauce and 1 t ground black pepper and stir until thick like a sauce.

Enjoy!  (we did!)


(p.s. - a nice alternative to the cranberry orange sauce, as well as quicker and easier, could be a really woody/smokey BBQ sauce, like a Jack Daniels-variety!)