duck recipes needed

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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i'm posting it in the living rather than off topic for two reasons:
ducks in question were raised in a dominican campo and i am told they are tough;
recipe needs to work locally available ingredients/spices.

long story short, i have several frozen ducks i want to serve on saturday (large group of people). all i know is my mom's recipe for roasted duck (rum with marjoram, salt and pepper then stuff with apples then bake for 2 hours) but i do not know whether it's gonna work with tough meat. should i roast it for longer? perhaps use pressure cooker?

i was also contemplating recipes using oranges, apple cider and wine. what do you guys recommend here? what local herbs will work well with duck meat? will these ducks cook to soft ever or should i abandon this plan altogether?

please help.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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If the local ducks are anything like the local chicken , pressure cooker for sure.

I always did duck in the fall shooting season in Canada.
Long and slow, a la chivo.

Try cutting them in pieces and sort of a stew recipe.

Lots of humidity*
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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I cant really help, sorry. :( :(.

Years ago, i built a small "compound " ( think hen house/living place ) with a pond.
And raised some ducks.......
Well I am used to ros?-to-raw duck breasts, sliced thin..... back home in france. I was disappointed. Tough as leather. I ate 3 then gave up.*
And yes the only "edible" duck was the one my wife did in the pressure cooker. Just as she would cook*gallina vieja.

Hope your ducks are young and tender. Good luck !!!
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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I agree with WW. Use either a pressure cooker or a slow cooker for like 8-10 hours. I'd definitely incorporate honey and soy sauce into the recipe.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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I agree with WW. Use either a pressure cooker or a slow cooker for like 8-10 hours. I'd definitely incorporate honey and soy sauce into the recipe.

well, let me make it unanimous, to this point...2 words

pressure cooker.
 

markryan

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Jul 16, 2014
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Low and slow usually wins the race for tough meat. Try and find a slow cooker recipe for duck and tweak it with your own spices.
 

DR Solar

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Nov 21, 2016
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I agree with WW. Use either a pressure cooker or a slow cooker for like 8-10 hours. I'd definitely incorporate honey and soy sauce into the recipe.

Oh man! How to ruin a good duck dinner. Sorry AE. I was a duck hunter and cooker for many years. (I now support nature and have not hunted for 40 years)

Lot's of fat so slow rotisserie would be the best with... a base of 1/4 cut potatoes, 1/4 cut onions and coarse chopped celery and under the drip from the duck. Oranges are wonderful with the juices dripped throughout the roasting process since it helps cuts the fat and adds flavor. A little Rosemary finally chopped as the duck turns. The best is what is below as that mixture works and use it to base the duck often since it will become dry otherwise.

Spoon off the top fat in the lower pan if possible so the vegy's in that pan are really great.

Remembering wild duck hunts in freezing weather and great meals that they provided. Great times and honored times. I now support the ducks.

Meat in a crock pot/slow cooker makes it a stew with flavor only from the herbs and really takes the flavor away. Take the time and honor your duck. lol
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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The best part of a duck is the crispy skin as if you puncture it there is a lot of fat underneath so it makes skin really nice and crispy. If I were slow cooking it I would take the skin off or there will be far too much fat. Take the skin off and the fat and make duck chicharrones as a side dish. I normally roast duck but def not campo ducks - slow cooker or pressure cooker is the way to go - almost like goat and dominican beef - cook for ages.

Matilda
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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Oh man! How to ruin a good duck dinner. Sorry AE. I was a duck hunter and cooker for many years. (I now support nature and have not hunted for 40 years)

Lot's of fat so slow rotisserie would be the best with... a base of 1/4 cut potatoes, 1/4 cut onions and coarse chopped celery and under the drip from the duck. Oranges are wonderful with the juices dripped throughout the roasting process since it helps cuts the fat and adds flavor. A little Rosemary finally chopped as the duck turns. The best is what is below as that mixture works and use it to base the duck often since it will become dry otherwise.

Spoon off the top fat in the lower pan if possible so the vegy's in that pan are really great.

Remembering wild duck hunts in freezing weather and great meals that they provided. Great times and honored times. I now support the ducks.

Meat in a crock pot/slow cooker makes it a stew with flavor only from the herbs and really takes the flavor away. Take the time and honor your duck. lol

at this point i know that you are expecting somebody to ask how many Dominican ducks you have cooked.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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pressure cooker it is, then ( i don't have have slow cooker). got plenty of time and can even do the cooking over 2 days (there's seven of them birds, i think, for some of them are frozen together, it's hard to tell).

pressure cooker is big enough to fit maybe two or three birds in one go, depending how i chop them. how long should it take? i looked at other recipes and they suggest at least one hour cooking time, with some browning and boiling done before. how much liquid should i use? just enough to cover the meat or more?

i was also thinking of doing some in the oven, 2-3 hours should do it and at least i will be able to check doneness as i go.

when should i defrost the birds? you think overnight is better, seeing that the nights are kinda cool now? or it's better to take them out friday morning, defrost throughout the day, marinade for the night and then start cooking on saturday?

i don't even think i have that much fridge space but i can work things out.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i don't have rotisserie. and my experience with farm grown birds in DR is that the buggers are hard as a rock and do not cook like wild game i know from home. :(
 

DR Solar

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Nov 21, 2016
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at this point i know that you are expecting somebody to ask how many Dominican ducks you have cooked.

Fair question gorgon. I've not found nor looked for any Dominican Ducks so my answer is none. Do they have ducks here?

The Store has some every now and then but they are farm raised. Wild duck and farm duck are really different.

Did I meet you expectations?
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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pressure cooker it is, then ( i don't have have slow cooker). got plenty of time and can even do the cooking over 2 days (there's seven of them birds, i think, for some of them are frozen together, it's hard to tell).

pressure cooker is big enough to fit maybe two or three birds in one go, depending how i chop them. how long should it take? i looked at other recipes and they suggest at least one hour cooking time, with some browning and boiling done before. how much liquid should i use? just enough to cover the meat or more?

i was also thinking of doing some in the oven, 2-3 hours should do it and at least i will be able to check doneness as i go.

when should i defrost the birds? you think overnight is better, seeing that the nights are kinda cool now? or it's better to take them out friday morning, defrost throughout the day, marinade for the night and then start cooking on saturday?

i don't even think i have that much fridge space but i can work things out.

You don't need a lot of liquid with a pressure cooker.

It might be a good idea to marinate them in advance, wash them with some halved naranja agria too.

As Matilda says, they can be very fatty.

Do you plan to cook all of them for one large meal? Very enterprising [and brave!]

I think you'll be happy with the pressure cooker for them, I've had good results with other meats [Mr. AE hunts, so I've cooked pheasant, duck, venison, etc. I've also cooked guinea hen in DR, tough as nails sometimes] As I said earlier, I don't think 20 minutes will do it. 2 hours might be overkill though. I'm thinking no longer than 90 minutes.
 

DR Solar

Bronze
Nov 21, 2016
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You don't need a lot of liquid with a pressure cooker.

It might be a good idea to marinate them in advance, wash them with some halved naranja agria too.

As Matilda says, they can be very fatty.

Do you plan to cook all of them for one large meal? Very enterprising [and brave!]

I think you'll be happy with the pressure cooker for them, I've had good results with other meats [Mr. AE hunts, so I've cooked pheasant, duck, venison, etc. I've also cooked guinea hen in DR, tough as nails sometimes] As I said earlier, I don't think 20 minutes will do it. 2 hours might be overkill though. I'm thinking no longer than 90 minutes.

How do you say.... Ouuuh? Pressure cooker with the foul sitting ontop of all the grease and goop. NONONONO.

I too have hunted for over many years. pheasant is a very dry meat so takes some care. Alligator is easy after you learn to take it and skin it. Money no one really cares since they are rude and just get rid of them. True.
 

DR Solar

Bronze
Nov 21, 2016
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Sorry. Gone WAY off topic. I like the rotisserie or you can BBQ with it cut into quarters with a slow cook on grill to drain the fat with basting then a high heat for the crispy at the end. NO crock pot/slow cooker in my kitchen. lol
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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not sure if enterprising of foolish, ha ha. i may cook only 5 birds, i don't know. there will be many people and some of them eat a lot.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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Hey dv8. Gaby says you're correct that the local ducks are "durissimo" was the term used. She goes on to explain that they used a "fogon" in the Campo which is a clay oven that is used to cook in. The duck spiced however you would want (she said onions,peppers, cilantro, ajo, salsa Chino , sour orange, and some water) goes into the caldra and sits in the fagon. I asked how she would cook it now, and she said same way but use a pressure cooker the duck and finish it off in the caldera on the stove. BTW, she likes duck and has duck if available when we're out to dinner. Good luck.*
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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pressure cooker it is, then ( i don't have have slow cooker). got plenty of time and can even do the cooking over 2 days (there's seven of them birds, i think, for some of them are frozen together, it's hard to tell).

pressure cooker is big enough to fit maybe two or three birds in one go, depending how i chop them. how long should it take? i looked at other recipes and they suggest at least one hour cooking time, with some browning and boiling done before. how much liquid should i use? just enough to cover the meat or more?

i was also thinking of doing some in the oven, 2-3 hours should do it and at least i will be able to check doneness as i go.

when should i defrost the birds? you think overnight is better, seeing that the nights are kinda cool now? or it's better to take them out friday morning, defrost throughout the day, marinade for the night and then start cooking on saturday?

i don't even think i have that much fridge space but i can work things out.

Since you have seven and a large pressure cooker, maybe try cooking one whole in the pressure cooker for an hour, and finish it in the oven for roast duck. Yeah, it may turn out bad, but maybe not.. *You can't tell me that the Chinese don't do this for making duck in their restaurants.*
 

DR Solar

Bronze
Nov 21, 2016
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Whoa. What ducks are you talking about? Like north American mallards or are you talking about Dominican DOVES?

Five in a pot? You are not talking duck. Post photo please. Ty.