Wild duck presents the opposite challenge from venison — it has more fat than farmed duck (from the insulating layer developed for water-resistant diving) but smaller, leaner breast muscles that cook faster. The technique must render the abundant fat from the skin while cooking the breast to medium-rare before the fat can fully render — a timing challenge unique to wild duck.
Wild duck (mallard, teal, pintail) roasted at very high heat (230–240°C) for a short time (20–25 minutes for a mallard) to achieve maximum skin crisping while keeping the breast at medium-rare. The legs, being darker and fattier, require longer cooking and are often separated and cooked confite.
- Start breast-side down in a hot pan to begin skin rendering — the fat must begin to render before the bird goes into the oven [VERIFY time in pan] - Very high oven temperature — 240°C for mallard. Lower temperatures produce grey, soft skin and overcooked breast [VERIFY temperature] - The legs and breast are cooked to different targets — breast at 55–58°C (medium-rare); legs benefit from longer cooking to break down their tougher connective tissue. Either accept slightly undercooked legs or separate them and confit [VERIFY leg temperature] - Wild duck is stronger in flavour than farmed — the gamey note asks for contrasting sweetness (cherry, orange, quince) or sharpness (juniper, redcurrant, vinegar) - Score the skin deeply before cooking — the fat layer beneath wild duck skin is thicker than farmed; without scoring it cannot render in the available cooking time
GAME COOKERY SPECIALIST ENTRIES + HAZAN ITALIAN ADDITIONAL