Wild Duck with Onion Sauce

Name: Wild Duck with Onion Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: PT60m
Ingredients: 4 duck breasts.; 100 grams smoked streaky bacon, chopped.; 1 teaspoon olive oil.; 1 knob of butter.; 2 large red onions, sliced.; 2 cups of chicken stock.; 1 cup of red wine.; Salt and pepper.; Broccoli, chopped.; Carrots, chopped.; Button mushrooms.; Celery, diced.; Cauliflower, chopped.

SpotX Wild Foods Recipe from Nicola Miller
Prep:30 minutes Cook:30 minutes Difficulty:1

Ingrediants:

4 duck breasts.
100 grams smoked streaky bacon, chopped.
1 teaspoon olive oil.
1 knob of butter.
2 large red onions, sliced.
2 cups of chicken stock.
1 cup of red wine.
Salt and pepper.
Broccoli, chopped.
Carrots, chopped.
Button mushrooms.
Celery, diced.
Cauliflower, chopped.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place vegetables in a pot of water, simmer until cooked.
Do not overcook, they must still be firm, drain and set aside.
Score the duck breasts, skin and season.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until shimmering.
Add the duck and cook until lightly brown on both sides.
Transfer to a baking tray and cook in 180°C oven for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a saucepan, sauté onions until lightly browned.
Add the stock and red wine and simmer.
Reduce to 1 cup, season and set aside.
Add the bacon to the frying pan and cook until golden.
Add the vegetables and cook until browned.
To serve, spoon the onion sauce onto warmed serving plates.
Arrange the vegetables and bacon.
Place the sliced duck breasts on top.

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Duck
Duck Hunting duck is one of those Kiwi activities steeped in tradition, especially in rural communities.
The first weekend in May is eagerly awaited and has greater status than some religious holidays. In anticipation of opening day considerable preparation will have gone into the maimai, the traditional duck hunter’s lair, and preparing ponds, which are sometimes pre-fed.
Prior to the big event, gun clubs hold shooters’ ‘eye-openers’. A number of clubs and pubs host hunters’ evenings to determine the most realistic duck caller, camouflage and the like. Shotguns are given that extra bit of attention and the faithful gundog gets caught up in all the hype too. The scene is being set for what is a special annual occasion for some 80,000 people around the country.
Like all sports, bird shooting has become more sophisticated as time goes by. The traditional side-by-side shotgun has largely given way to ‘under and overs’. Now semi-automatic guns with magazines capable of up to five rounds are the order of the day. Lead shot over our waterways has been banned to appease the green element – a vocal minority. Decoys are moulded from plastic and can be made to move on the water or to simulate flight, with wings that flap.
Even the species have changed. Areas that were once the domain of the grey duck have been taken over by the mallard, which in turn has been superseded in many regions by the larger, domineering paradise shelduck. But at the end of the day you still have to put shot in the air in the right place to intercept dinner – and that has not changed.
The rewards are worth it. Wild duck is excellent fare and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Traditionally the birds have been hung for a day or two then plucked and drawn, before being roasted or casseroled. More commonly today they are breasted out and presented in a variety of ways, including manufactured into salamis and sausages; recipes for some of which are outlined below.