If you are or know a duck hunter you’re going to want to save, share, favorite this recipe. Duck poppers and snack sticks move over, this preparation will delight hungry hunters and hungry guests, alike. Thinly sliced duck breast pairs perfectly with rich, creamy funky bleu cheese and crusty sourdough bread. You could even add to a field to table themed charcuterie or grazing board. It seems fancy, but I can shop all ingredients, with the exception of the wild duck of course, from the local market. Not that we won’t be enjoying duck poppers or snack sticks any longer, but this recipe takes wild duck to the next level!
I love this recipe because it’s wildly delicious, has a place on both rustic and refined tables, and most of all, the co-writer is my duck hunting husband, Brad. Before meeting Brad, I had limited exposure to wild game. Now, I’m as comfortable working with game meats like venison, elk, and duck as I am with traditional meats. Field to table cooking is so satisfying, not to mention very very tasty.
Special Equipment
I do my best to keep the ingredients and equipment required to successfully create my recipes affordable and easy to find. This recipe is a bit of an exception. A sous vide is a specialty piece of cooking equipment and can a bit pricy.
A sous vide circulates precisely heated water around vacuum sealed foods and cooks to the exact desired temperature without drying out or the risk of over cooking. Vacuum sealing also helps marinades penetrate deeper. Is it worth it? YES! I can promise more HIH recipes in the future which could utilize a sous vide. If you’re a loyal follower, I promise it’s worth it! Chances are, if you’re connected to a hunter, you’ve got access to a vacuum sealer. Don’t be afraid to ask to borrow.
We sous vide traditional meats like steak and chicken, even salmon, but it’s hand’s down my favorite way to prepare duck, goose, and many cuts of elk and venison. I’ve even seen recipes for sous vide veggies, but haven’t tried any as of yet. Here are some links to vacuum sealers and sous vides if you’re looking to add to your kitchen.
Links
- All-Clad ® Sous Vide Immersion Circulator – I can personally, highly recommend. This is the exact model I use and I love it! Downsides, it takes up quite a bit of storage space, and it is pricy.
- Keylitos Sous Vide Cooker Machine 1100W, IPX7 Waterproof Sous Vide Precision Cooker – 4.5 stars on Amazon. There’s currently a 30% off coupon you can apply at checkout!
- Voriah Portable Automatic Vacuum Food Sealer – this has worked well for me and the price is great. Since we are vacuum sealing very frequently, I upgraded to the FoodSaver below.
- Foodsaver Space Saving Compact Machine Vacuum Sealer – I just purchased this on sale at Walmart. It’s so compact compared to the original FoodSaver and the price is still pretty darn good!
If you’re on a budget, or just not into adding more equipment to your kitchen the queen of all things domestic, Martha Stewart, outlines how to sous vide without a sous vide here.
Sous Vide Wild Duck Breast with Bleu Cheese Black Pepper Cream
Equipment
- vacuum sealer
- quart or 8" vacuum seal bags
- sous vide
- Measuring cups and spoons
- medium mixing bowl
- cast iron pan or griddle
- small sauce pan
- large pot or container for sous vide
Ingredients
- 6 wild duck breasts, cleaned and prepped
Duck Marinade
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup dry red wine something you would drink
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Bleu Cheese Black Pepper Cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup bleu cheese crumbles divided in 1/2
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper adjust amount to your preference
- salt taste before adding salt, ½ teaspoon may be needed for your tastes
Sourdough Toast Points
- 5-6 slices sourdough bread, cut into quarters
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Wild Duck Preparation
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the wild duck breasts. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge.
- While duck is marinating, fill the large pot or heat proof container you'll be using to sous vide with water and set the sous vide temperature to 125 ° F for medium rare. Allow the water to come up to temperature. Follow the instructions for your specific sous vide model.
- Remove the wild duck breasts from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain off. Place in a vacuum seal bag and vacuum seal.
- Place vacuum sealed duck breasts into the heated sous vide water bath. Sous vide for 3-4 hours at 125°F
- After the sous vide cycle is complete, begin to heat a pan or cast iron surface on medium high. Remove the duck breasts and sear each on the direct heat for approximately 45 seconds to 1 minute/side.
- Rest the duck meat for 5-10 minutes and slice thinly against the grain.
Bleu Cheese Black Pepper Cream
- While the duck is in the sous vide or while it's resting (depending on if you prefer warm or chilled cream) heat the cream, black pepper and 1/2 the bleu cheese crumbles over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by 1/4 to 1/2 depending on if you would like to serve as with a spoon or a knife, respectively.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining bleu cheese crumbles. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper as required.
- For chilled cream, place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. For warm cream, keep warm over low heat on the stove or reheat over low heat when it's time to serve.
Sourdough Toast Points
- Slice 5-6 slices of sourdough bread into quarters. Distribute into one layer on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toast in a 350° F oven until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
When is wild duck done?
If you ask a food safety expert, they’ll say for the safest wild duck, it should be prepared to 160 degrees F. That said, unlike white meat chicken or turkey, duck is a red meat and not a common carrier of dangerous salmonella bacteria. Most prefer to take a little extra risk to enjoy wild duck at a similar temperature to their preference with steak or lamb. This recipe will result in medium rare duck. Sous vide at 125 degrees F, then seared over high, direct heat yields an internal temp of about 130 – 135 degrees F. If you prefer medium, bump the sous vide temp up 10 degrees. As with any food, you’ll have to weigh your personal risk:reward ratio to determine what’s best.
Keys to Success
- Make sure your duck is cleaned and prepped well, no one wants a bite of shot or a stray feather in their bite.
- Drain marinated duck breasts as much as possible without blotting them dry. You don’t need or want much excess marinade in your vacuum seal bag. Just enough marinade to coat the outside of the breasts. You’ll make a mess and the bag likely won’t seal if there’s excess liquid in the bag.
- A hot, quick, direct heat sear is key to getting a great caramelization and sear on the outside of the duck without over cooking. I prefer a flat cast iron surface. If grilling is more your style, go for it! Keep in mind the chances of drying out the juicy duck breasts increases when using a grill.
- Rest the duck. Keep your duck juicy by allowing to rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat instead of rushing out when sliced fresh off the grill.
Don’t be afraid to experiment!
I love how basic this recipe is, but there is room to make it your own. When I have it on hand, adding some thyme or rosemary to the marinade or the cream would be amazing! A couple of tablespoons of honey or brown sugar would be great substitutes for the balsamic vinegar. A pinch of crushed red pepper in the marinade would add some heat for those who like some spice. If I didn’t have to drive a long ways to find a shallot, I would probably throw a thinly sliced shallot in the marinade. Asian flavors would also be delicious! I know I’ll be trying all of the previously mentioned variations throughout this hunting season.
What do I do with the leftovers?
Well, I wouldn’t know for sure because when we serve this, we’ve never had even a single slice of duck left on the platter. That said, the duck would be fantastic on an arugula salad or sandwiched with the bleu cheese black pepper cream and griddled as a panini. I just had the idea to use the duck in place of the Canadian bacon on an eggs benedict as I’m writing this. Hunter’s Benedict, sign me up. The possibilities are exciting!
I already posted my Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up last week, but I think this would be the PERFECT appetizer. If it’s too late to add to your Thanksgiving menu, there are so many celebrations before the end of duck hunting season. This is the first recipe I’ve developed specifically for a wild game meat. If you give it a try, please let me know what ya think!
XOXO,
Alden
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