Wild Muscovy Duck
By Cat, July 2020; photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons
I purchased a frozen duck breast, skin-on, a few months ago, and now I want to do something with it. It’s been years since I’ve cooked duck, but it is one of my favorite meats when I eat-out.
I don’t know the original source of this recipe, and I don’t recall the last time I made it, but because I still have my handwritten recipe card, I’m certain I loved it. And I definitely love wild rice.
I’ve not yet tested this adaptation of original recipe.
- See also: 1. Poultry, Fowl Main-Course Menu; 2. Brining Poultry; 3. Steamed Wild Rice
- Includes: 1. Using a whole duckling (4-6 servings); 2. Using a duck breast (1-2 servings)
Roast Duckling with Wild Rice Stuffing
This recipe is fairly simple, with just a bit of prep involved, mainly for the stuffing.
You need a whole duckling, fresh or frozen. However, when I test this recipe, I will use a single skin-on duck breast, and bake the stuffing separately, to serve on the side; thus I include the whole-duck recipe and my adaptation for a duck breast, below.
The original recipe calls for a mix of regular white rice (2 cups, cooked) and wild rice (4 oz, cooked) for the stuffing; if I were to do this, I would start with uncooked rice and cook as in the Cooks recipe (1). However, my preference, as presented here, is to use only wild rice and cook it following my Steamed Wild Rice recipe, before using in this recipe. I’ve updated the recipe accordingly.
For brining your duckling or duck breast, see: Brining Poultry.
Ingredients & Equipment (Whole duckling version)
Makes 4 – 6 servings
- Duck:
- 1 fresh or frozen duckling, 4.5 – 5 pounds, preferably brined
- 1 tsp Unrefined sea salt (only if you don’t brine the duckling)
- black pepper, to taste
- Stuffing:
- 2 cups Steamed Wild Rice
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup sliced green onion or scallions
- 2 Tbsp parsley
- 1 Tbsp real butter
- Equipment:
- bowl or pot large enough to contain the duckling covered with brine
- cast iron or other heavy skillet
- shallow, uncovered roasting pan
Method (Whole duckling version)
- Brining duckling: Determine amount of water needed to cover bird in brining container, then remove bird to a plate. Determine amount of salt needed for measured amount of water, then stir salt into water until it dissolves. Place duckling back to brining container and place in fridge or other cold place to brine.
- Remove bird from brine and pat dry. Prick skin at 1-inch intervals over entire surface; sprinkle with black pepper, to taste.
- If you don’t brine duckling: Rinse it and pat dry. Prick skin at 1-inch intervals over entire surface, then season neck and body cavities using ½ tsp salt.
- Prepare stuffing: Steam the wild rice until all the grains have opened (white part is showing, and rice is tender.
- Dice celery; slice green onions/scallions, enough to make ½ cup; and chop parsley.
- Cook celery in butter over low heat until almost tender.
- Stir in onion, parsley and steamed wild rice.
- Stuff duckling: Fill neck and body cavities of duckling with stuffing, loosely. Skewer neck skin to back. Cover opening of body cavity with foil. Tie legs together loosely.
- Roast: Place duckling breast-side up on rack in shallow, uncovered roasting pan.
- Bake at 350°F until meat on drumstick is fork-tender, about 2½ – 3 hours.
Ingredients & Equipment (Duckling breast version)
Makes1 – 2 servings. NOTE: I’ve tentatively adjusted amounts for a single breast, but I’ve not yet tested this.
- Duck breast:
- 1 fresh or frozen duck breast with skin-on, about ½ pound, preferably brined
- a pinch of Unrefined sea salt (only if you don’t brine the duckling)
- Stuffing (to be served on the side):
- about ¼ cup Steamed Wild Rice
- about 1 Tbsp diced celery
- about 1 Tbsp sliced green onion or scallions
- ¾ tsp chopped parsley
- ½ tsp real butter
- Equipment:
- bowl or other container large enough to contain the duck breast covered with brine
- small cast iron or other heavy skillet
- small casserole dish, with cover (or use parchment/waxed paper under aluminum foil for a cover).
Method (Single duck breast, with skin-on)
- Brining duck breast: Determine amount of water needed to cover breast in brining container, then remove breast to a plate. Determine amount of salt needed for measured amount of water, then stir salt into water until it dissolves. Place breast back to brining bowl and place in fridge or other cold place to brine, 1 hour/pound (per eHow) or 6 – 12 hours (per food network); see Brining Poultry and scroll down to “Brine Time” for source info: Food Network is source #6 and eHow is source # 12. I’ve not yet tested brining a duck breast, so not sure which source is correct.
- Remove bird from brine and pat dry. Prick skin at 1-inch intervals over entire surface; sprinkle with black pepper, to taste.
- If you don’t brine duck breast: Rinse it and pat dry. Prick skin at 1-inch intervals over entire surface, then season neck and body cavities using ½ tsp salt. Place in fridge until ready to cook.
- Prep baked stuffing: Steam the wild rice until all the grains have opened (white part is showing, and rice is tender.
- Dice celery and slice green onions/scallions, enough to make ½ cup each; chop parsley.
- Cook celery in butter over low heat until almost tender.
- Stir in onion, parsley and steamed wild rice.
- Transfer to small casserole dish, cover and set aside until ready to bake.
- Bake stuffing (2): Bake at 350°F until meat is fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake about 10 minutes until thermometer reads 160°F. Remove from oven and keep warm until duck breast is ready.
- Slow-roast breast (3): Reduce oven to 200°. Meanwhile, sear breast on stove-top, skin-side down in cast iron skillet, about 2 minutes. Turn skin-side up in skillet, and place skillet into preheated oven to roast until medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145 to 150 degrees), about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest about 5 minutes.
- Serve breast with baked stuffing on the side.
References:
- Cooks recipe: cooks.com/recipe/vp5uc3x4/roast-ducklings-with-wild-rice-stuffing.html
- Baking wild rice stuffing: tasteofhome.com/recipes/wild-rice-stuffing-bake/
- Slow-roasted duck breast: washingtonpost.com/recipes/slow-roasted-duck-breast/12423/
