Smoked whole duck on an offset smoker...Who's done it before?

[cayenne]

Hi all,

Ok, the other day, I'm bored and perusing the frozen foods in the meat area of the grocery store (as we are all want to do from time to time, eh?)....

Well, I happened to see some frozen ducks in there, alongside some rabbit which was a bit unusual to see.....and I got to thinking.

Duck might be fun!

I've never cooked one in any manner and I've only rarely had some duck breast in some higher end restaurants...some was GREAT, others were "Meh".

So, wondering if anyone has a good recipe or words of wisdom on getting a good result?

Rubs?
Sauces?

I do understand that duck has an incredible amount of fat that will render out.

I was thinking of putting one of those grocery store, el-cheapo aluminum pans under the grate under the bird and catch all that fat.
I figured smoked duck fat might be fun to use later to confit something, or make some roasted taters with....

Where is best place to prove for temp...the breast ? Isn't duck all dark meat...so, would temp to pull be about 360F or so?

I was thinking this might be fun to eat a bit of meat, then take rest...off carcass and boil the carcass for stock, and make a duck and andouille gumbo!!!
(I do live in New Orleans after all).

Anyway, thought I'd start a thread on this...I searched and only found some bits and pieces....none were on an offset, most were just breasts...so, hoping I might get some good input here.

Thank you in advance!!

cayenne

 

[KC Smoke]

Check out Andrew Zimmern's "Wild Duck Gumbo with Crispy Duck Breasts" recipe. It's on my list of to-dos as soon as the weather lets me start up a fire pit. The recipe comes from his Andrew Zimmern's Wild Game Kitchen show that if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend checking it out.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Sounds good to me. Will be interested in your results

 

[Connor_Macleod]

Sounds like a fun item to try! No experience smoking duck here, but I would suggest pulling it below an IT of 360, LOL.

 

[NOHENS]

Duck, like any wild game, should not be cooked past medium. Preferably medium rare. It turns into boot leather beyond medium.

Now….that’s just smoking, or grilling. If placed into gumbo, or something else, that’s different. But I’d suggest a little binder, some rub, and cook it like you would chicken, but don’t take it to as high IT as chicken. To each their own, but I’ve hunted waterfowl my entire life, and a properly grilled duck breast is as good,to me, as a fillet.

 

[SmokinAussie]

Haven't really done it for a long time, but have done it with varying degrees of success.

Once hung 2 ducks in an upright gasser smoker. Once cooked one hot and fast on a Weber Performer. Also done one on a regular gasser with a hood.

Always found it a challenge especially managing the fat. Getting a crispy skin is also a challenge on a smoker. Ideally a duck is better off done indirect with an open fire, vertically in a drum like smoker with a pan to catch the juices but I've never done it like this.

Crispy skin? Best done by blanching the duck in boiling water first and applying a mixture of rice wine vinegar, water and either maltose or honey, then left to dry. A hairdryer is fine if you're short on time.

Importantly, there are differences as mentioned above with a farmed duck and a wild hunted duck. Lot's more fat on a farmed "Muscovy" duck. The meat is milder in texture and flavour and a bit more forgiving on a smoker. Wild ducks are lean mean machines and very unforgiving if overcooked.

Cheers!

Bill

 

[cayenne]

OOps...

Sounds like a fun item to try! No experience smoking duck here, but I would suggest pulling it below an IT of 360, LOL.

OOPS...my bad...typo!!!

Yeah....well, I know the breasts by themselves are often sort of medium...much less done than a chicken.

I'm just not sure what temp, since I don't wanna make anyone sick....I'll have to do some searching on that. I think I meant about 165F or so....but that's "done" for the most part, right?

 

[cayenne]

Definitely farmed...

Haven't really done it for a long time, but have done it with varying degrees of success.

Once hung 2 ducks in an upright gasser smoker. Once cooked one hot and fast on a Weber Performer. Also done one on a regular gasser with a hood.

Always found it a challenge especially managing the fat. Getting a crispy skin is also a challenge on a smoker. Ideally a duck is better off done indirect with an open fire, vertically in a drum like smoker with a pan to catch the juices but I've never done it like this.

Crispy skin? Best done by blanching the duck in boiling water first and applying a mixture of rice wine vinegar, water and either maltose or honey, then left to dry. A hairdryer is fine if you're short on time.

Importantly, there are differences as mentioned above with a farmed duck and a wild hunted duck. Lot's more fat on a farmed "Muscovy" duck. The meat is milder in texture and flavour and a bit more forgiving on a smoker. Wild ducks are lean mean machines and very unforgiving if overcooked.

Cheers!

Bill

Thank you.

I'm definitely going store bought/farmed.

Strangely enough, I'm from AR, live in New Orleans...raised and lived in the SEC states all my life and I've never been hunting?!?!

I dunno how that worked out at all!!!
:O

But anyway, I'll start my duck adventures post "hunt" with a cleaned bird from the local supermarket.

Thank you!

cayenne

 

[Big George's BBQ]

I know Jeanie AKA Cowgirl has done duck. Check out her blog and/or PM her

 

[cayenne]

Blog?

I know Jeanie AKA Cowgirl has done duck. Check out her blog and/or PM her

This is an online blog you're talking about?

If so, do you have a link per chance?

Thank you in advance!!

C

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Google Cowgirls Country Life