Tips for making your waterfowl bounty more enjoyable
February 16, 2012 by
It’s the end of a long (OK, it’s never really long enough, is it?) waterfowl season, and if you’ve been some combination of lucky and good there are plenty of tasty morsels in your freezer.
The folks at Delta Waterfowl have offered up some suggestions for making the most of that duck and goose meat before it becomes part of a large, colorless, freezer-burned mass that you wouldn’t feed your worst enemy’s dog.
Among their suggestions: Make it a habit to take out a bird or some other wild game once a week. Experiment, and don’t be afraid of failure. The worst thing that can happen is a meal you’ll know not to try again. Share with your friends. And above all, have fun with it.
Here are 10 tips for preparing your waterfowl:
1) Thaw out your birds thoroughly before preparing. The best way is to let them thaw in the refrigerator. If you're short on time, fill a large pot with cool water and place the still-wrapped bird in it. It should thaw within two hours. Be sure the frozen bird is properly sealed or it will get waterlogged.
2) Clean your birds thoroughly. Be sure to get everything out of the cavity — everything.
3) Soak meat in milk and onions overnight to pull out blood and gamey taste.
4) Let meat come to room temperature before you cook it. Always pat it dry before cooking.
5) Cook ducks hot and fast or low and slow.
6) Roasted ducks should be cooked no more than medium-rare. Grilled duck breasts too. No exceptions.
7) Let your birds rest (five minutes, perhaps longer) after they're done cooking. Resting allows juices to redistribute and stay in the meat; cut into it too soon and you'll have a soaked cutting board. Resting also allows the birds' flavor to set up and intensify.
8) Save the carcasses and scraps to make stock, which you can use in gravies or sauces.
9) Sauces and side dishes are an important part of wild-game cookery. Find a few to enhance and accompany your ducks and geese. You won't be sorry.
10) The internet is an invaluable tool to learn more about cooking waterfowl and other wild game.
11) Be bold and experiment. Don't worry about failure. Just thaw some birds and start. Make it a celebration.
