Duck!
Pot Roasted Duck with Quince
In the book A Distant Feast, The Origins of New Zealand Cuisine, I read, “Ducks, especially wild ones, can be tricky”. These may just be the truest words ever written.
From my very own bed I can see a mai mai and know instantly when May 1 has arrived due to the pop pop pop emerging from the early morning mist, and from the look of concern coming from our gun-shy Labrador.
For the serious duck shooter there are some preliminary rules, which must be followed. First of all you meet at a secret, specified spot for a strong coffee with a tot of something stronger. Guns, camouflage, decoys and chilly bins are checked and accounted for, and a plan is hatched. Groups of two are dispatched with instructions on where to meet later. Exciting stuff.
I remember a particular spot in Umbria, Italy, where during the hunting season guns sounded in the distant hills from morning till night. Here at least it’s just every-so-often for an hour or so. Blessed are the kiwis.
At a job interview in a remote fishing lodge I was easily seduced on a cold winter’s day by a Jacobean bowl of Paradise duck soup. Take the job? Sure, how could I not when the food’s as good as this? Made by Melise Tilly, this is the recipe as well as we remember it.
Into a pressure cooker place your duck. Add water, and some aromatics to the duck. A sprig of parsley, carrot, peppercorns, celery etc. Place the lid on and cook the living daylights out of it. Cool, and remove the duck. Shred the meat and set aside. Strain the liquid through a sieve back into the pressure cooker and add a packet of ye olde soup mix. Cook again until tender, then cool. Add the duck meat, some freshly chopped parsley to garnish, and serve.
If you are lucky, your duck-shooting friend will hand you just the breasts. These are somewhat more reliable to cook, either as in the soup recipe above, or as Melise recommends, thinly sliced and cooked in a stir-fry. Duck and Asian flavours are a good marriage, and ginger, garlic, soy and star anise all work well.
My dad remembers soaking six duck breasts in red wine for a few days. He then casseroled them with a lot of onions, long and slow, and says they were wonderful. Due to his memory playing tricks, however, his recipe comes with the caution: “Tried only once, a long time ago”.
The Dunsandel Store’s new cookbook, called A Year’s Worth, is a beautiful addition to any cook’s bookshelf. Pictorially interesting, it includes photos of the local dogs, instructions on how to make a go-cart, mouth-watering recipes, the store itself, and the surrounding countryside with many local producers. Also included is a list of “Essential Provisions for Duck Shooting”, which includes Camla Farm Mulled Cider, bacon and egg pie, a bag of apples, Dunsandel Store spicy apple chutney, chocolate crunch, possum/merino socks, and walnuts.
The owners make this delicious recipe for pot-roasted wild duck with quince, given with their kind permission as follows.
Pot Roasted Duck with Quince
Serves 4
4 wild duck breasts with thigh attached
Flour for dusting
Olive oil
1 large onion and a stalk of celery, both finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large quince, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup of white wine or cider
1 cup of water
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
½ cup of cream
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the duck, dust with flour and fry in the hot oil till golden brown on both sides. Take your time, as this will be your flavour base. Remove to a plate, and in the same pan heat a little more oil, if necessary, to sauté the onions, celery and garlic. Add the quince to the pan and toss. Place this into the base of your casserole dish. Lay the duck pieces on top and add the cider or wine, water and herbs. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for two hours.
When the duck is tender, remove the casserole dish from the oven and place on the stove to finish the sauce. Remove the duck and keep it warm. Over a low heat, gently mash the quince and vegetables into the sauce to thicken. If too liquid, reduce it over the heat until a good consistency is reached. Add the cream and adjust the seasoning. Spoon some sauce onto each plate and place the duck breast on top. Serve with creamy mashed potato.
Fiona Feasey
