Duck seasoning Hunters rise early to bag waterfowl for use in savory entrees

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As the diminishing daylight triggers the migratory instinct of our summer visiting waterfowl, it also whets the appetite of many a Maine duck hunter. Rising a good hour before dawn, they load their dogs and shotguns and set off for the marshes, bogs and wetlands. With their bodies and boats dressed in a camouflage of cloth and cornstalks, they set three- to four-dozen decoys, erect a U-shaped blind of 6-foot stakes covered with marsh grasses and tree bark, crouch down behind, and as Tom Hennessey described to me, “hurry up and wait.”

Just as the rising sun turns the sky from gray to a soft purple then pink, the daylight traffic of ducks begins. When the season opens in early October, a hunter may invite to his blind the teals, on their trek to points as far south as Central and South America. These compact marsh ducks, recognized in flight by their small, tight flocks, have light blue patches on their wings (blue-winged) or deep iridescent green patches around their eyes (green-winged) and make excellent eating. Black ducks, very dark with flashing white wing linings, and mallards, with their glossy-green head and white neck-ring, also belong to the family of dabblers, ducks that feed on the surfaces of ponds and marshes. Their diet consists mainly of aquatic plants, seeds and grasses, and they are considered by many the favorites for eating. Pintails, gadwalls and wigeons are also marsh ducks. They tip when feeding and take flight by springing directly from the water. Their season this year, here in the north zone, is Oct. 4 through Dec. 11.

The legs of diving ducks are closer to their tail, and they have a hind toe with a paddlelike flap. They are often characterized as “bay ducks” or “sea ducks.” In taking wing, they patter while getting underway. Canvasbacks are very white with a chestnut-red head and neck, redheads are gray with a rounder, red head, ring-necks have a bill crossed by a white ring and scaups have broad white stripes on the trailing edge of their wings. These divers prefer freshwater marshes and ponds, and dine upon small aquatic animals and plants.

In contrast, sea ducks, like the scoter or sea coot, eider, oldsquaw and long-tailed, eat more fish, mollusks, blue mussels and periwinkles. They prefer the cuisine of salt water, found in tidal marshes and rivers. Their hunting season extends into the winter, through Jan. 31. Often referred to as “fish ducks,” their flavor often does have a distinct “fish” overtone. Hunters usually skin these ducks before cooking, and often marinate them in buttermilk or wine to soften the fishy flavor.

“Ducks raft up all night on ponds and lakes,” Tom Hennessey explained to me. “In the daylight, they will fly to their feeding sites. Bluebird days aren’t the best times to hunt ducks, nor are rainy days. Snow doesn’t bother them, but they don’t like to fly in the rain.”

I imagine it’s because they don’t have windshield wipers on their eyes. Tom went on to tell me that waterfowl, similar to deer and others in the wild, don’t like wind. “It makes them nervous. They can’t hear and sense danger.

“When they set their wings and are committed to your site, that’s the time to shoot,” he said, describing the process of the hunt. “They will back off their wings and use their air brakes, putting their feet down.”

An avid sportsman and lifelong hunter, Hennessey spent an entire afternoon with me, answering my questions, showing me his detailed drawings of ducks, sharing his love of Maine’s fishing and hunting heritage. “You’ve heard the favorite way of many to cook a sea duck?” he queried. “Roast the duck on a brick in the oven, throw the duck away and eat the brick! Divers swim so much their legs are tough, that’s why I usually just breast them out.”

We became instant friends, swapping recipes and stories about our native state and the church of the great outdoors. I was amazed by Tom’s seeming endless knowledge of waterfowl and excited to try a hand at preparing my own culinary delights. Lacking the proper boat and dog, this year I settled for the domesticated variety found in the freezer section of larger supermarkets and specialty stores like Rooster Brothers in Ellsworth.

The recipe for Steam Roasted Duckling with Maine Wild Blueberry Sauce is perfect for a special occasion. The most laborious part of the preparation, steaming the duck and preparing the sauce, can be done a day in advance. An hour before serving, the duck is simply roasted, then sliced and served with the reheated sauce. This recipe could be adapted for any number of other fruits, like cherries, strawberries or raspberries.

Tea and Oriental Spice Smoked Duck Breast is a showy but easy recipe that dates back from my restaurant days. Leftover duck from either of these recipes could be used in salads too.

Next January when I renew my hunting license, I’ll be sure to purchase the state migratory waterfowl check-off authority and the Federal migratory waterfowl stamp. My husband loves boats, so convincing him to add another to the collection shouldn’t be much of a challenge. The only problem is the retrieval system. The last time I mentioned a second dog I was reminded that divorce and dog started with the same letter.

Meanwhile, I’m studying topographical maps and bird books. Morning walks are spent examining formations and flight patterns. Tide tables and sunrise times are taped to the refrigerator door. And when the late October and early November winds blow blustery and the skies are gray, I won’t despair, because I know in my heart, thanks to Tom Hennessey, these are perfect fowl weather days.

Sauteed Duck Breasts with Apples and Onions

(as suggested to me by Tom Hennessey)

2 duck breasts, skinned

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, coarsely chopped

2 apples, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup cider

2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or more to taste)

Salt and fresh pepper to taste

Soak the duck breasts in the buttermilk in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and pat dry. Season the duck breasts generously with salt and fresh pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the duck breasts on both sides. Transfer the duck breasts from the skillet to a platter.

Add the onions to the skillet and brown them. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and cider. Add the sugar. Add the apples and duck breast, cooking until the duck until it is medium rare. Remove the duck, cut into thin slices, and arrange the slices on a heated platter. Reduce the sauce until syrupy, tasting and correcting the balance of flavors. Pour over the sliced duck and serve immediately. Suggested accompaniments would be roasted fingerling potatoes and sauteed greens.

Steam-Roasted Duckling with Maine Wild Blueberry Sauce

1 5- to 6-pound duckling

1 lemon

Salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups red wine

2 cups Maine wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 to 1/2 cup Maine wild blueberry jam (to taste)

2 cups chicken stock

Equipment needed:

A covered roasting pan or casserole that accommodates the duck comfortably

A rack that fits the bottom of the roasting pan (or a thickly sliced onion)

A plastic or glass degreasing pitcher

A sieve to strain the stock

A medium size pot to prepare the sauce

Wash the duckling well under cold water. Remove any pieces of fat that you can and discard. Using a sharp knife, cut the wings off and save them, along with the neck and giblets for use later. Wipe the duck dry, cut the lemon in half, and rub it all over the inside and outside of the duck. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves and sprinkle salt and thyme liberally all over the duckling.

Place the bird, breast side up, on top of the rack in the roasting pan. If you don’t have a rack that fits the pan, thick slices of onion will work. Add 1 inch of water to the pan and bring it to boil on top of the stove. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and let the duck steam for 30 minutes.

While the duck is steaming, prepare the stock that will be the base of the Maine wild blueberry sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the cut wings, the neck and the giblets. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce the heat slightly, and continue cooking while the duckling is steaming.

When the duck is done steaming, remove it from the roasting pan and drain it, saving the cooking liquid. Discard the lemons. Place the duck back on the rack in the roasting pan, breast side down. Pour one cup of blueberries into the cavity, sprinkle the vegetables over the duck and all around the pan. Pour in 1 1/2 cup of red wine.

Bring the liquid to a boil on top of the stove. Cover the roasting pan and braise the duck in a preheated 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.

While the duck is braising, strain the bones, etc. from the duck stock that has been cooking on top of the stove. Use a degreasing pitcher to pour off the grease, and return the stock to the medium saucepan. Pour all the juices from the steamed duck into the degreasing pitcher, strain off the fat, and add these cooking juices to the strained stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it.

When the duck has finished braising, remove it from the roasting pan, drain out the juices, vegetables and the blueberries, saving them for addition to the duck stock. If the duck is to be finished at a later time, wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate until one hour before the time it is to be served.

Meanwhile, continue making the stock. Add the cooking juices, vegetables and blueberries to the boiling stock and cook vigorously for 10 minutes. Strain the stock and use the degreasing pitcher to remove the fat. Return the stock to the saucepan and continue to cook until it has been reduced in half. There should be about 2 cups of a nicely flavored duck stock.

To prepare the sauce, add 1/4 cup of Maine wild blueberry jam to the duck stock. Simmer and whisk constantly until it is dissolved. Add more jam to taste. Continue simmering and tasting the sauce until it is syrupy and has been reduced to just one cup. Add the remaining 1 cup of blueberries. The sauce may be stored in the refrigerator and reheated just before serving the duck.

To prepare the duckling for serving, place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast the duck , uncovered, in a 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The duck is done when the skin is brown and crisp and the legs feel reasonably tender.

Remove the duckling from the roasting pan. Let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Carve the meat from the duck and arrange it on a warm platter. Garnish the platter with sprigs of fresh thyme and blueberries. Serve the Maine wild blueberry sauce in a small bowl or pitcher. A 5- to 6-pound steam-roasted duckling serves four as a first course, or two very generously as a main course.

Tea and Oriental Spice Smoked Duck Breast

2 boneless duck breasts

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon Szechwan peppercorns

4 teaspoons finely minced scallion

2 teaspoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger

1 small organic or well-scrubbed orange

Smoking ingredients:

1/4 cup fragrant black tea leaves

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup raw white rice

1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns

4 pieces cinnamon bark, crumbled

Coarsely chopped rind of the orange

To prepare the duck:

Cut the duck breasts in half, keeping the skin intact and removing any membranes. Add the coarse sea salt and Szechwan peppercorns to the bowl of a mortar and pestle and grind until fine. Mix together with the minced scallion and ginger. Rub this mixture evenly over both sides of the cut up duck breasts. Lay the breasts, skin side up, in a single layer on a plate. Grate the skin of the orange over the duck until it is covered with orange zest. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and as long as overnight. Let come to room temperature.

Heat a large skillet until it is hot enough to evaporate a bead of water. Add 2-4 tablespoons of corn oil, swirl in the pan, and heat until nearly smoking. Add the duck breasts, skin side down, and sear until the skin is golden. The meat will be 80 percent raw.

To smoke the duck, line a 14- to 16-inch heavy pot and its lid with foil. Combine the 1/4 cup fragrant tea leaves, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup rice, 1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns and crumbled cinnamon bark. Add the coarsely chopped rind of the orange. Spread this mixture in a 1/4 inch thick layer on the bottom of the pot. Place a rack in the bottom of the pot that stands up about 2 inches above the bottom. Arrange the duck, skin side up, on the rack.

Place the pot on the stovetop. Raise the heat to high, and wait for the mixture to send up plumes of smoke. When it starts to smoke, cover the pot with the lid, crimp the foil ends shut, and smoke the duck breasts for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot rest for 5 minutes. Remove the duck and check for doneness. They should be medium-rare. If the duck is undercooked, it may be roasted, skin side up, in a 400-degree oven. To serve, thinly slice against the grain.