Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Duck for Christmas dinner? it?

As to the title, I'm not sure why I'd need to, but I'd basically squat so my butt is resting on my thighs, but I'd much rather sit in a chair to eat.

Farm Raised Duck has been the go to Christmas dinner favorite without complaint
Roasted over the grill on a rotisserie spit - rare is good

Scorning beforehand with a sharp knife will ensure tasty crispy skin
And catching drippings in a pan will provide flavorful fried taters

Thanks for the Patti’s Kitchen reciepe - that glaze looks maybe worth trying this year

Wild duck is good but have not been able to match Mom’s amazing recipe 🦊

Moose95:
You got that right about duck fat and flavorful taters!

A good cook introduced me to using duck fat, and to making hesselback potatoes which maximizes the flavour by maximizing the area to absorb the fat, even more than frying them.

These two pictures tell the story, a wooden spoon lets you slice very quickly and not go too far, keeping the potato together, roast'em and they are SO good when hot from the oven!



/John

Great technique jpb, thanks for sharing! Never saw the technique, you learn something new every day and can not wait to try them!

Do you brush them with the duck fat and at what temp do you roast them at?

KB

I like the roasted on open fire myself, but my dad smoked onefor me on his treager for my birthday and it was dang good

We'll see how it turns out. Thanks all!

Hi KillerBee

I can add a few more tips about making this tasty potato dish!

Cut a flat side on the potatoes before you put them in the wooden spoon.

This way, they won't roll around, and they will stand up (if you do this the slices will fan out a bit during roasting, allowing more duck fat or butter in as well)

As I wrote before, the wooden spoon keeps you from cutting all the way though, but it also lets you make THIN slices (if your knife is sharp) - two mm is perfect.

I don't hunt waterfowl as much these days, so I don't always have duck or goose fat. However butter is just fine and a lot easier to get!

I baste every 10 min or so with the butter or fat in a HOT oven (225C 450F).

To take the dish to another level, during the last 12-14 min or so baste'em again, but then sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese to add some great texture & flavour.

Roast for 35 minutes or more, until the potatoes are crispy and brown.



With the starchy potatoes and the fat, it isn't a diet dish so you might not want to have it every day, but it is my favorite way to do potatoes.

/John

Thank you again John, so can not wait to try them and will report on my attempt!

With out a dought those taters look great, they are now on the attempt to cook list, thanks.

Wow! I’ll give those potatoes a try for sure!

I’m not the most experienced with ducks because I’ve never been a big duck hunter - not in a great location for them and don’t really need another bad habit. I have been going a it more the last few years though. I will say the don’t over-cook part seems to me to be critical. And, that a duck is not a duck - species matters! Wood ducks, or at least every one I have ever had, will give the best red meat in the world a run for its money. I would eat it 3 times per week if I could get that many!

Here's our Christmas time tradition...roast duck, red cabbage and potato dumplings (fried in the duck fat). It's got to be a store bought duck, wild ducks are totally different types of meat.

Looks Great

Just how I do it, in a cast iron dutch oven (pot) with a stick of butter. Never heard the term "spatchcock" though!

Wild ducks are good too if cooked right and if you don't cook the snail and fish eaters. Shoot the grain and acorn eating ducks. Don't over cook.
I have a friend that duck hunts every day of the season and they limit almost every day. He breasts them and gives me a bunch. I marinate them wrap in thin bacon and grill medium rare. They are delicious.