It’s been FAR too long since I’ve posted a new Field to Table recipe and I can’t think of a better recipe to fix that than my wild duck pot pie. These individual duck pot pies are a perfect make-a-head freezer meal or to feed a crowd right away. Of course, the duck is the star of the show, but the rich gravy, earthy mushrooms and hearty potatoes make for the perfect combination. A true field-to-table meal the whole family can enjoy!
I had never eaten or prepared wild duck prior to meeting my husband. Now I have as much wild duck as I could ever want! Together, we operate Harris Farms Outfitters. Welcoming waterfowl enthusiasts from all over the US to rural Southeast Kansas for all-inclusive guided duck hunts. My husband handles the hunting and habitat management, while I take care of the hospitality side of the business. It’s wonderful to partner together any play to each of our strengths. Southeast Kansas isn’t known for a lot, but the duck hunting here is WORLD CLASS!
Keys to Success – Wild Duck Pot Pie
- Prep your ingredients. When making a prep intensive recipe, like this one, being organized in getting all of the ingredients ready before you begin cooking is key! Before I even turn on a burner, every ingredient is cleaned, chopped, and/or measured out so it’s ready at the right time. I like to have all of my prepped veggies and seasonings on a sheet pan right next to the stove so I can just scoop and go!
- Know your audience. Game meat isn’t everyone’s taste. I do think this recipe is a great way to present duck in a familiar way, even to the skeptics! I’ll have a whole section later in this post on ways to temper any gaminess so the whole family can enjoy.
- Don’t forget to season as you go. When you season as you go along, you’ll create layers of rich flavor! Always taste along the way and make any adjustments so the recipe comes out exactly the way you want it to taste.
- Be gentle with your biscuits! It will take a bit to get each biscuit top flattened out to fit the top of the duck pot pie, if you get too aggressive you could tear the dough. Be nice to the biscuits!
- The right vessel. If you’re wanting to make these ahead of time to freeze, you’re going to want to make sure you have the right size foil pan (5″ is perfect) and that it comes with an oven safe lid. I got these from Walmart and they are PERFECT!
Tips to Temper Gaminess
Don’t Overcook the Duck
Overcooked duck will develop a gamey taste every time. Since the duck in this recipe sees heat in the beginning and the end of the recipe, you will want to make sure the initial sear is just that, a sear. You just want to get some color on the outside of the duck before removing it from the heat. It will finish cooking in the oven.
Soak the Duck Meat
This recipe calls for a soak in balsamic vinegar while you prep all of the other ingredients. This has been enough of a soak for our taste. You may want to soak longer. You could soak as long as overnight prior to cooking. If the flavor of balsamic vinegar is too strong here’s a list of other great meat soaks:
- Milk
- Buttermilk
- Yogurt
- Lemon Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar + Water (1:1)
- Red wine – I would only use as quick soak not an overnight soak. I use a combo of red wine and balsamic vinegar in my signature duck season appetizer, a wild duck crostini.
Freeze Quickly
If you’re going to add the meat to your freezer for later consumption, properly cleaning and freezing the meat ASAP will help you stay ahead of any gaminess. Utilizing a vacuum sealer is the best way to ensure the meat stays fresh and free from any freezer burn. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, (you should, I have this one, and I LOVE IT!) wrapping meat tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil or butcher paper can keep it fresh for over a year. Don’t let it sit in your fridge for a week before you get it in the freezer.
Wild Duck Pot Pie
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 4 quart pot
- 1 wooden spoon or spatula
- 1 small pot
- 1 Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 1/2 cup or 1 cup ladle
Ingredients
- 1¼ lbs wild duck breast, diced into 1/2" pieces
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil I like avocado.
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 8 oz Baby Bella or brown mushrooms, small dice
- 1 12 oz bag frozen sweet peas
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1½ lbs red skinned potatoes diced into 1/2" pieces
- 1½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine 1 teaspoon if using dried
- 1½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine 1 teaspoon if using dried
- ½ teaspoon white pepper optional
- 6 cups beef bone broth or stock duck bone broth would be even better
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry red wine optional, can be replaced with broth/stock
- 1 package refrigerated jumbo biscuits 8 count
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted for brushing the biscuit crusts when baking.
Instructions
- Prep the duck first and place in a medium mixing bowl with the balsamic vinegar. Let sit in the fridge while prepping the remaining ingredients as specified in the ingredient list. Soak longer to cut any gaminess.1¼ lbs wild duck breast,, ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- Prep the mushrooms, onion, potatoes, and herbs and place near your stove.8 oz Baby Bella or brown mushrooms,, 1 medium yellow onion,, 1½ lbs red skinned potatoes, 1½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine, 1½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
- Once your duck has soaked in the vinegar for the desired amount of time, heat the 4 quart pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add the cooking oil followed by the duck and allow to brown on all sides. Allow excess vinegar to drain off the duck before adding to the pot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside. The duck does not need to be cooked all the way through. Discard the excess vinegar.1¼ lbs wild duck breast,, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
- Add the onion to the same pan and allow to cook until translucent followed by the mushrooms. Season with rosemary, thyme, white pepper, salt (approx 1/2 teaspoon), and ground black pepper approx 1/2 teaspoon).8 oz Baby Bella or brown mushrooms,, 1 medium yellow onion,, ½ teaspoon white pepper
- Cook the mixture until the mushrooms have cooked down by 1/2. Add the diced potatoes. If the pan seems dry, you may need to add a little extra oil here. Cook the until the potatoes with the mushrooms and onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.1½ lbs red skinned potatoes
- Using red wine or a 1/2 cup of stock, deglaze the pan by pouring your choice of liquid into the hot pan and then using a wooden spoon or spatula loosen the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Once the bottom of the pan is clean, add the 6 cups beef or duck stock/bone broth and bring up to a boil. Continue to boil until the potatoes are fork tender.½ cup dry red wine, 6 cups beef bone broth or stock
- While the mushroom/stock mixture boils, using a small pot over medium heat, melt 1 stick of butter. Once melted whisk in the 1/2 cup of flour to make a roux and allow to cook for about 2 minutes whisking frequently.½ cup salted butter, ½ cup all purpose flour
- Whisk the roux into the mushroom/stock mixture. The mixture will begin to thicken immediately allow to boil for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the duck back into mixture along with the bag of frozen peas. Taste for seasoning and make any adjustments. Allow the mixture to cool.1 12 oz bag frozen sweet peas, 1¼ lbs wild duck breast,
- Place your 8 5" foil pans or ramekins near the mixture and evenly distribute the mixture using a ladle. About 1 1/2 cups each.
- Open the can of refrigerated biscuits. Using your fingers to pinch and flatten each biscuit from the center out so each biscuit fits just inside the edge of your 5" pans. Cover each pan with 1 biscuit.1 package refrigerated jumbo biscuits
Baking Instructions, baking immediately.
- While the mixture cools, pre-heat your oven to 375℉.
- Brush the tops of each pot pie with melted butter and bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes until the top of the biscuit browned and the gravy is bubbling around the edges. You may need to cover with foil to finish baking to prevent the top from burning.2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- The bottom of the biscuit will have the texture of a dumpling. If you prefer a more done crust, bake covered with foil for 15 minutes, then remove and bake until top is golden brown, about another 10-15 minutes.
Freeze first, Bake Later
- Cover the pot pies with the paired lid, or tightly with aluminum foil. The pot pies should be cooled completely to room temperature before covering.
- Label each pot pie with the recipe name, and the date frozen.
- Place in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To bake, preheat oven to 400℉. While still covered with foil or an oven safe lid, bake for about 15 minutes, then remove pot pies from the oven, carefully remove each lid, brush the biscuit tops with butter and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the tops are brown.2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Notes
Nutrition
Duck season is right around the corner for us. This is such a busy time, so in the weeks leading up to welcoming all of our clients, I like to get my freezer stocked with anything I can make ahead from scratch to make life just a little easier. Duck pot pie is a perfect addition these freezer friendly Honey, I’m Hungry recipes:
- Brown Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Red Meat Chili
- Oven Baked Meatballs
- Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
- Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Venison Sloppy Joes
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