Me, My best friend, My Daughter, and a Duck,Best meal ever

So I did it.I cooked those wild Mn mallard duck breasts as in my previous post and it was the best meat of any kind that I have eaten in 60 plus years of eating meat and believe me as a hunter and professional chef in the business, I've had access to and have cooked and eaten a lot of meats, domestic and wild.

I recall a leg of organic lamb done on a weber at Tim and Beth's in NW Wisconsin, and a number of venison chops braised w/ onions, mushrooms and brandy
that have come close.

But nothing quite like this.

Beyond your dog getting a surprise chicken bone, your 1st girlfriend and your first kiss, or your best wife and your best time w/ her,beyond just palate and taste and memory to a deep in your chest satisfaction.This was complete. You could ask for nothing more.

Dark and wet and cold outdoors so I did them indoors on a black cast iron pan on the stove top in olive oil. Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, skin side down on med heat till crisp - 4 to 5 minutes, flipped and sauced w/ the orange marmalade sauce/glaze( added worcestershire,and soy sauce to previous recipe) and cooked for about 2 minutes and the breasts were med rare.

Sliced duck breasts a quarter inch thin at an angle and layed out on a plate and covered w/ additional sauce. Served with butternut squash and warm fresh baked whole wheat bread w/ butter. The breast medallions melted like butter in my mouth. Herbed, sweet and sour, spicy, complex, deep.Wow.

Brandy, dark chocolate, and espresso for dessert.







herbed, spiced

They Shoot You Eat

Gotta love it when you have friends that are good at shooting ducks but they don't want to clean them and they give them to you.

Rick showed up at the bar/restaurant that I work at the other day and said the guys don't want to clean the ducks they shot but he knows who does and that was me. I said you're right and he gave me 4 mallards. Boy oh boy lucky me.

I put them in the walkin cooler and two days later I brought them home and plucked the breasts and boned them out and skinned the wings and legs. The wings and legs will make a luscious broth which will be incorporated into a reduced sauce involving red wine, balsamic vinegar, garlic, hot peppers and orange marmalade, as well as cilantro and parsley.

Cook the duck breasts med rare on your weber over charcoal or preferably local maple or oak and glaze with the sauce. Nothing better. Serve with butternut squash seasoned w/ butter, brown sugar and ginger. Accompany w/ Sam Adams or a cabernet.