Stuffed Wild Duck
Submitted by bestwest
Wild duck soaked in lemon water, stuffed with celery, onion, orange, and apple, then slow-roasted under salt pork until tender. A hunter’s classic done right.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
90 minREADY
100 minIf somebody in the family brought home a duck from the blind, this is how you cook it. No fuss, no fancy technique, just honest wild game cookery that lets the bird shine.
A lemon-water soak tames any gaminess, then the cavity gets packed with celery, onion, orange, and apple. That fruit-and-vegetable stuffing steams from the inside while a blanket of thinly sliced salt pork bastes the breast from the outside.
Slow-roasted in a covered Dutch oven until the meat practically falls off the bone, then uncovered at the end for a final golden browning. This is the kind of recipe that gets passed down through hunting families for generations.
Kitchen Tips
- The 30-minute lemon soak is essential for wild duck. It pulls out blood and mellows the strong, gamey flavor.
- Baste often during roasting. Wild duck is leaner than farm-raised, and the salt pork drippings keep the breast from drying out.
- The stuffing here is for flavoring and moisture, not for eating. Discard it before carving and serve the duck with rice or roasted root vegetables instead.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak duck in cold water with juice of 1 lemon for 30 minutes before cooking.
Dry thoroughly.
Salt and pepper inside and out.
Fill cavity with celery, onion, orange, apple and Worcestershire.
Lay strip of salt meat over bird, secure with toothpicks.
Place in heavy Dutch oven with 1 inch water in bottom.
Bake covered at 325℉ (160℃) for 1 hour, or until very tender.
Baste often.
Before serving remove salt meat; brown by removing cover and basting.
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