If the pick-up truck parked in your driveway has ever looked like this, then you probably already have some variation of this recipe, but just in case...
I was first introduced to this appetizer over a decade ago by my husband's then-roommate, John, who was, and is, a consummate duck hunter. But most of the hunters I know seem to have some iteration. I think it's a favorite because wild duck is usually a little gamy and is extremely lean. The marinade helps a lot with the gaminess and the bacon keeps the lean meat from drying out during cooking.
Ingredients:
Breasts from 6-8 ducks
1 lb thin bacon
1/2 block of cream cheese
Pickled or fresh jalapenos
Marinade (recipe below)
Procedure:
First, have your favorite hunter breast the ducks for you, preferably outside. Rinse them several times, then carefully examine them make sure that all of the shot gun pellets are out -- biting into steel shot is a good way to break a tooth.
Soak them in cold water for a few hours, then put them in a marinade.
Marinade them for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine these in a ziploc bag and shake well. Then add the duck breasts.
After a few hours, take the breasts out of the marinade and pound them flat. This process is neater if you place the breasts in a plastic bag first.
Then, spread the flattened meat with soft cream cheese, and place one jalapeno slice per breast.
Finally, grill!
These take about 10-12 minutes over medium heat, turning once. You can also do them in the oven or on a grill pan on the stove. When the bacon is brown, the duck meat is probably done. You can use a meat thermometer to check -- cooked breasts should register around 140 if you like them medium rare (which we do, or else they get too tough).
Enjoy!
I need a grill. And a husband :)
ReplyDelete