Plucking ducks

[Trigger]

I pluck every bird by hand that i can... to shot up or to many pin feathers keeps me from doing it. The reason being i feel like a dbag if all i do is breast them out and plucking birds while getting hammered is so much fun! Also the least desirable meat on a properly baked bird is the breast so i feel like im missing out on all the good stuff by just breasting them Bwt are almost always pluckable. Ringbills even in the early season are usually good to go unless you have a young of the year bird (baked ringers are on par with any other species). Mallards, woodies, basically all puddlers obviously. I dont hunt goldeneyes and buffleheads much so i dont have to worry about them. Plucking late season geese is fun as long as you dont let them freeze.

I've never bothered with the boiling water, wax, anything like that. I just try to do it as soon as i can, in tge blind is usually the easiest.

Does anyone use a mechanical plucker? Ive heard they are the best and ive heard they are the worst, im rarely near electricity anyways but if they are worth it ide haul a generator.

[gimpfinger]

Ringbills even in the early season are usually good to go unless you have a young of the year bird (baked ringers are on par with any other species).

White fat...

[Waterfowlist]

Always try and pluck some mallards and teal late in the season. Then dip them in wax. I have heard from a friend his mechanical plucker works great. ( said it was like $600). I always pluck mine by hand.

[Trigger]

Ringbills even in the early season are usually good to go unless you have a young of the year bird (baked ringers are on par with any other species).

White fat...

Wild rice fed... the best!

[LBI]

Plucked and waxed, did it this way for years. Still do a few but mostly breast em if going to eat in camp. I have heard soaking them in water with dishsoap works for easily taking the feathers off, but haven't tried it

[Quack]

I pluck and wax nice birds.

Talkin about ringers . . . why are they so hard to peel the skin back when you want to breast em out?! Easier and damn near faster to pluck n wax em!

[triplecurler]

Didn't realize so many people pluck, none of my friends do. Thanks guys.

[lanyard]

Do both. Plucked late season mallards make really nice gifts to people that know what to do with them.

Breasts offer better versatility for using in prepared dishes. Make a killer fried duck wonton that is a good "hit of the party" appetizer and gets past most non-eaters impression of eating duck/goose.

[Quack]

Would you be willing to post the recipe for that fried duck wonton?

Tis the season!

[lanyard]

You'll need:
1- set of goose breasts or equivalent in duck breasts, bigger ducks work better
1- apple
1- pkg small wonton wraps (like 1.5" x 1.5")
All Spice
Butter
Lingonberry or Hot Pepper Jam

cut duck or goose breasts into strips about 2" long, 1/2" wide, most people would call it 'fajita style'

sautee strips in butter in skillet, or do a high temp sear, set on paper towel to cool and absorb excess butter/blood... you're shooting for that med rare/med line.

slice one apple into long thin cuts, think sliced onion, but long and narrow, not round slices. Your going to line the wonton like a burrito.

in wonton, place apple slices, duck breast chunks, and season with All Spice. You'll want to wet your wrap a little bit, have a finger bowl of water near by so, wet a finger or two, wipe across wrap, the put ingredients in. The all spice is a guess, so go with what feels right.

Roll wrap, the ends will be open. I don't tuck corners or anything funky.

clear the butter out of the skillet and heat peanut or grape seed oil, something that has a high smoke point. You want the pan hot, like 375+. Vegetable oil hasn't seemed quite hardy enough and isn't a good flavor enhancer. Peanut oil is preferred for me, but my kid has a peanut allergy, so I've switched to grape seed oil

drop wontons in hot oil. They'll pop and splatter because of the apple and you wiped them with water, so be careful. cook until the edges of the wonton get a crisp brown to them. Anticipate you'll need to split up the wontons for cooking. If too close in the pan, the oil cools, wontons don't cook evenly, and you end up with soggy wontons. Use long tongs to put in and pull out.

set on wrack or paper towel to cool and clear excess oil.

Best if served still warm or at room temp direct from cooking. Serve with Lingonberry Jam or a hot pepper jam. Keep warm in oven, don't microwave. Never been left overs, so not sure how they do re-heated. guessing pan or oven would be best.

If you want to cut on the sautee/sear time and add some flavor, soak your slices in apple cider vinegar over night. This will even out flavors, break down some of the tissue, and give a better look of "cook through" when biting into it (rather than that~ done, almost done, rare~ that happens on meat with different thickness in the same piece).

It's kind of a pain in the ass because of the two cooking steps and popping oil, but it makes you look like a chef type, particularly when you pull out the Lingonberry and/or Hot Pepper jams. They're not common, the meat doesn't "taste like duck", and your family/neighbors will think you got some kind of gift because to them, that chit is exotic. Especially when you're stuff is set next to the Cream Cheese/Pickle/Meat wraps, Tortilla Pinwheels, and things on tooth picks.

If you're married, this will work once for your wife being impressed, then, like everything else, she'll expect it. However, it greatly increases the number of friends/neighbors/relatives wives that will be holding a special thought for you next time a little fantasy is all they need.