Create: Duck: The Real Story
photography by Janet Warlick, shot on location at Eggshells Kitchen Co., Little Rock, Arkansas
Randy Ensminger is an example of an interesting trend in using today’s technology. With nearly 2,200 friends on Facebook, his page Slap Yo Mama is a modern day recipe exchange … the sewing circle updated. He also hosts a page called Quackin’ Good … Southern Wild Duck Recipes, which offers a couple dozen options for using that duck you just shot, ranging from Wild Duck Pizza to Wild Duck Sliders. The recipes are ideal for non-chefs and guaranteed for those who don’t like duck because of the taste … although you may have to put aside your diet for a meal or two.
Here is Ensminger, directly from a recent e-mail interview. Some of his favorite duck recipes follow.
AY: So, Randy, what’s the story?
RE: I began using Facebook 3 or 4 years ago. One day I was sharing a duck recipe with a friend. I told her I ought to create a recipe page ... next thing you know, she'd set it up and sent it to me. It was called Quackin’ Good ... Arkansas Duck Recipes. I later changed it to Quackin’ Good ... Southern Duck recipes. Most of the early participants were friends, later friends of friends. It is not easy getting people to post duck recipes. I don’t spend a whole lot of time on that until the season comes around. It is really disappointing that few people eat their ducks. My guess is that only 20 percent of the ducks killed ever hit the table. Most people get told to stuff whole ducks with apples and oranges. They stick ‘em in the oven for too long, and they taste like an old boot!
AY: What is Quackin’ Good ... Southern Duck Recipes?
RE: So many recipes out of game cookbooks are alike. I try to use ones that are unique, rather than posting similar recipes over and over. My favorites are ones that come from famous, old hunting clubs. Most duck clubs have lots of ducks that need to be cooked before the start of next season. A few of us usually get together and make it a group effort. Usually [we prepare] gallons and gallons of duck gumbo. In fact, a friend of mine, Kathy Kane, and I are planning to make a ton of duck tamales that freeze well. We also have a group that gets together and makes different kinds of sausage. I bought a meat grinder, and I am trying to develop the perfect duck sausage.
AY: What is Slap Yo Mamma?
RE: I am not a chef! I am a social cook with emphasis on the social. I have a collection of more than 400 cookbooks. I like to share favorite recipes, especially those that are old family treasures that have been passed down. I like the stories behind those recipes! … I especially like the recipes that are so good they make you want to "SLAP YO MAMA!"
AY: What advice do you have for people who cook and eat what they shoot?
RE: Cook what you kill, experiment and use your imagination. As I said, most peoples’ game sits in their freezer for years and then gets thrown out! My advice is to try new ways to cook it or have somebody show you — and don't expect a 3-year-old, freezer-burned duck to taste wonderful! When grilling, do not cook to more than medium rare or it will be dry. Grilling game is not an exact science … I wouldn’t call it an art, but experience is the best guide. When baking or braising, use liquid and baste often. Once again, do not dry it out by over cooking it.
Hurricane Duck
Try this on a non-duck lover. They will swear it is beef.
Ingredients:
Breasts of three ducks
1 12-ounce can lemon lime soda
1 7-ounce can evaporated milk
12 slices thin bacon, cut in half
Chakas MMM sauce or soy-based marinade like Dales or Allegro
Rinse duck and pat dry. Cut each piece into three to four pieces. Combine with soda and milk. Marinate overnight or at least for several hours. Remove from marinade, rinse and wrap with bacon. Secure with toothpicks. Combine with Chakas, Allegro, or Dales marinade for less than 1 hour (I use about 20 minutes). Grill hot for 3 to 5 minutes per side. You want this medium rare — NO MORE! Serve with any heated marmalade, preferably roasted garlic and onion jam, heated and mixed with butter and Worcestershire.
Note: Chakas MMM sauce can be bought online, Dales and Allegro marinades can be found at your local store.
Recipe from Apron Strings, Junior League of Little Rock … with a few tweaks.
Wild Duck and Oyster Gumbo
This recipe is for advanced, experienced, cooks. Interesting fact: everyone in these parts parboils their ducks and then uses the meat and broth. In Cajun country the ducks are cooked in a roux; you discard the bones and skin before you eat it. This recipe is unique and from the book The Top 100 Cajun Recipes of all Time — this is as real as it gets.
Ingredients:
1 heaping teaspoon of shortening
2 heaping teaspoons of flour
1 large or 2 small onions chopped
1 wild duck, cut into 6 pieces
salt and pepper
2 quarts water
2 dozen oysters and liquid
Melt shortening. When hot, add flour to make a roux. When roux is browned, add onion. Cook until tender. Season duck with salt and pepper. When onions are tender in roux, add the duck pieces. Let fry in the roux until blood in duck disappears. Add water. Let boil slowly until duck is very tender. Add oysters and liquid. Cook about 10 minutes longer. Season again, if necessary. Serve with rice.
Recipe from Mrs. Elton Beaulieu, Jeanerette, LA (IBERIA PARISH)
Lemon Pepper Fried Duck
Easy, Fool Proof and Good.
Ingredients:
8 duck breast fillets
Milk
Lemon pepper seasoning
All-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
Ranch dressing, to serve
Cut breasts into finger-size strips, and soak in enough milk to cover for ½ hour. Drain duck strips, and coat liberally with lemon pepper seasoning. Roll in flour, drop into hot oil, and cook until just slightly pink, 4 to 5 minutes, depending on oil temperature.
Serve with ranch dressing. Serves 8
Courtesy of Come On In, Junior League, Jackson, MS
Note: If you have questions, please contact Ensminger via e-mail at randy@primrosecreekar.com.
Note: plate featured in photograph Tag Maple Leaf plates by TAG; availabe in red, orange, green and purple, $30/set.
