adam f Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Do you chaps just breast mallard out or do any of you bother plucking the whole bird? I did a few tonight and was surprised how small the frame is under all that plumage!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste12b Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 I just breast them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Had a couple this morning and i normally just breast them but in the latest BASC magazine there is a recipe for a bonless 3 bird roast so thought i would give that a go. After struggling to skin the first i got it sorted on the second and they look to have come out well. Big tasting is on Tuesday so will have to wait and see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Used to roast them a lot Spatchcocked (Cut down the back and opened out flat) surounded by pre boiled vegies- cooked quick in a hot oven so the meat is still pinkish not grey- grey is bad overcooked rubbish! Now we have steel shot i still pluck them but if i see damage to the meat i cut the meat off the bone and get the detector on it having broken two teeth previously with steel. If they apear sound i hive them a quick wizz over with the bleeper and put them in the rotisary, then half them to serve two eaten off the bone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 Had a couple this morning and i normally just breast them but in the latest BASC magazine there is a recipe for a bonless 3 bird roast so thought i would give that a go. After struggling to skin the first i got it sorted on the second and they look to have come out well. Big tasting is on Tuesday so will have to wait and see ...and??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 Always pluck them!!! Take the breasts out, then the legs and then skin the bird and put any body fat in a pan with the skin and cover with water. Add a bay leaf and gently simmer until it starts to spit, that means all the water has boiled off and what you have left is duck fat and is better than butter and cooks roast tatties brilliantly. Duck legs get frozen until you have plenty and make confit of duck legs, either search for it here or google. Keep the liver and also freeze until you have a lot and make duck liver pate. If you really want to use it all up then clean out the gizzard(s) and use with the confit. Neck and carcass are used for stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I made duck leg confit a couple of xmases ago, it was amazing. Highly recommend that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 at the start of the season when the birds are in poorer condition and harder to pluck clean with the new feathers coming through, i take the breasts of. but when the birds are in better condition (usually end of october and on) i pluck the whole bird. i used to roast them but they have a tendancy to dry out, what i do now is boil them for 2 hours, stuff them and roast just long enough to cook the stuffing. if i am not using stuffing i just boil and serve. they turn out tender, moist and tasty, and the bairns love it. when i heard about boiling them first i turned my nose up at it but its all i do now. none of us like duck/goose cooked rare or pink so this fits the bill fine, you can usually cut the meat with the side of your fork its so tender. nothing better than cooking up a couple of nice clean mallard :good: mmmmmm :drool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 The 3 bird roast turned out fantastic, all the family enjoyed the 2 that i did. In the BASC magazine it flipantly states "skin the mallard and cut the skin to a neat square, bu**er me skinning a mallard is hard enough let alone getting it to a neat square Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Aister- don't you miss the crispy skin though, or are Mallards not that good for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Aister- don't you miss the crispy skin though, or are Mallards not that good for it? i didn't like the skin much on the mallard, find its better from the chinese take-away :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bi9johnny Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 at the start of the season when the birds are in poorer condition and harder to pluck clean with the new feathers coming through, i take the breasts of. but when the birds are in better condition (usually end of october and on) i pluck the whole bird. i used to roast them but they have a tendancy to dry out, what i do now is boil them for 2 hours, stuff them and roast just long enough to cook the stuffing. if i am not using stuffing i just boil and serve. they turn out tender, moist and tasty, and the bairns love it. when i heard about boiling them first i turned my nose up at it but its all i do now. none of us like duck/goose cooked rare or pink so this fits the bill fine, you can usually cut the meat with the side of your fork its so tender. nothing better than cooking up a couple of nice clean mallard :good: mmmmmm :drool: i can see 1 mark on the nearest bird but nothing else?? what did you shoot them with mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 they were both shot getting up out of a ditch heading away from me so any marks were on their back, i think the mark is either the dogs eye tooth or a pellet gone through. i usually use 36g 4's through half choke in the morning/through the day, and 32g 4's through quarter choke at night as the birds are usually a bit closer. i wish they were all as clean as these two :lol: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefy Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 at the start of the season when the birds are in poorer condition and harder to pluck clean with the new feathers coming through, i take the breasts of. but when the birds are in better condition (usually end of october and on) i pluck the whole bird. i used to roast them but they have a tendancy to dry out, what i do now is boil them for 2 hours, stuff them and roast just long enough to cook the stuffing. if i am not using stuffing i just boil and serve. they turn out tender, moist and tasty, and the bairns love it. when i heard about boiling them first i turned my nose up at it but its all i do now. none of us like duck/goose cooked rare or pink so this fits the bill fine, you can usually cut the meat with the side of your fork its so tender. nothing better than cooking up a couple of nice clean mallard :good: mmmmmm :drool: look good fella you have done a grand job on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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