Cooking a mallard (duck)

greenpixey

Hubby went hunting again yesterday and brought home a mallard (wild duck).
My recipe book said roast/cook in the oven 180C for 30 min per lb (450g) and we did just that. After plucking it and all it weighed just 450g so I only cooked it for 30mins without turning it over. Some of it was dark and some white, just like on a chicken. But part of it seemed bloody and I'm not sure it smelt right. Is there a better/right way to cook it or guidelines to know that it's been done right that I can follow?

greenbee

Had it been hung? In this weather, my dad (who supplies my game...) is hanging things for about a week.

Remember, duck can often smell fishy, so don't worry about that. I seem to remember my dad telling me that there was a cure for that (I think he used Clarissa Dickson Wright's Game Cookbook). Make sure you remove the oil gland before cooking it too, as it's not nice

Otherwise it sounds about right - I stuff half an apple or onion up its bum, slap quite a bit of butter on it as they have very little fat (all that excercise) and leave it until the juices run clear.

If it had a patch that was particularly bloody, that's where it was shot. Sometimes quite a bit of it can be inedible as a result. I'd avoid that bit.

It's not really worth making stock out of wild duck, so I'd dump the carcass withouth bothering if I were you. Pheasant or partridge stock, on the other hand, is delicious!

MikeyMacbeth

greenpixey wrote: »

Hubby went hunting again yesterday and brought home a mallard (wild duck).
My recipe book said roast/cook in the oven 180C for 30 min per lb (450g) and we did just that. After plucking it and all it weighed just 450g so I only cooked it for 30mins without turning it over. Some of it was dark and some white, just like on a chicken. But part of it seemed bloody and I'm not sure it smelt right. Is there a better/right way to cook it or guidelines to know that it's been done right that I can follow?

Shouldn't you add about 20 mins at the start at 190 to crisp it? not sure - never tried wild game though. Delia always seems to go with 30m / pound plus 30 , but the smaller the size... Don't know really and this is interesting - I have a feeling a lot of us will have to learn a lot more about cooking / treating wild game before long...

And you've just made me hungry for duck and hoi sin and pancakes - Grrrr... or maybe... Quack!:D

Greenbee - going to look that book up - Thanks!

greenpixey

greenbee wrote: »

Had it been hung? In this weather, my dad (who supplies my game...) is hanging things for about a week.
I seem to remember my dad telling me that there was a cure for that (I think he used Clarssa Dickson Wright's Game Cookbook). Make sure you remove the oil gland before cooking it too, as iti's not nice

We got two more that are hung out in the shed (where our cat cant get them) but hubby was quite eager to try the duck and cooked one straight away. I've ordered the book you suggested from Amazon today. I can see I'm gonna need it