Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

DUCK A L’ORANGE

SciAggie
SciAggie Posts: 6,481
in EggHead Forum
Well this was a fun cook because I learned a couple of things that will influence future cooks. Thanks to @Stormbringer for planting the seed of an idea. 

This started a few days ago when I ran across a video made by Hank Shaw for how to pluck a duck using wax. Oh my - this is a game changer for wild ducks. I have always been frustrated plucking ducks I’ve shot because the skin tears easily around shot holes. This method of rough plucking and then dipping in paraffin works like a charm. If you hunt wild ducks and haven’t tried this - give it a go and see what you think. Here’s a link to the video:
https://youtu.be/VFtVqBKjWFs

We harvested a couple of Gadwalls and here’s one after plucking. 


I’ve never had duck a l’orange so I consulted several recipes. I looked at the one shared by @Stormbringer and also one by Hank Shaw. I went with the one by Hank Shaw because it was a bit less complex and he had used it for wild ducks. Here’s the recipe:
https://honest-food.net/duck-lorange-
recipe/

I had a robust fire in the wood oven last night so I just let it soak all day today. By the time I was ready to cook the oven was a pleasant 325 degrees. Just right for cooking the ducks. I elevated the ducks on a rack and put them in my trusty CS skillet. They went into the oven for about an hour at this temp. 

Toward the end of the cook I was thinking I needed a bit more heat to brown the ducks well and crisp the skin. But how to do that? It’s not like the wood oven has a knob I can turn...

Then it occurred to me - just put some coals in the oven (I’m a dumb azz). I fired up a chimney of lump. When it was good and hot I shoveled it into the oven and spread it around the perimeter. It. Worked. Like. A. Charm. 

The oven jumped a good 75 degrees or so. Just enough to accomplish what I wanted. Here’s the ducks as I pulled them from the oven. 

(That’s salt that was on the skin)

Things got a bit busy from here so no pics. I rested the duck in the house oven. I know potatoes are the traditional choice of starch but the wife and son wanted risotto - so I made risotto. These ducks didn’t render a lot of fat so it was ok. 
I thought the sauce was good. I have no basis for comparison so I guess if we liked it then that’s all that matters. The family said they wanted me to make it again. That’s praise enough for me. 

Here’s the plated dish. I know it’s about oranges but the oranges at the store are only “oranges” because of the color. They taste awful. I have some amazing pears my BIL sent for Christmas so I plated those. 


Thanks for looking y’all. 
Coleman, Texas
Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
"Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                      YukonRon
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 6,134
    Great cook and great write up. Bravo!

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,549
    WoW
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • bucky925
    bucky925 Posts: 2,053
    WOWZA!  

    The best things in life are not things.  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 34,727
    Beautiful, Gary!
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike

    "The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,778
    @SciAggie- thank God you posted in a stand-alone thread as that merits its own place here.  Great cook and documentation.  No boundaries to your cooking prowess.  Congrats all around!
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,738
    Awesome!! I will definitely have a wood fired oven with my next backyard remodel!

    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 19,780
    And, again... I wonder what it would take for you to adopt me. 

    Outstanding. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,707
    Another wowzer cook! will have to try that some day.
    canuckland
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    Challenging dish to cook, you nailed it.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,896
    That looks marvelous! Thanks for taking us along on the ride.
    Stillwater, MN
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • texaswig
    texaswig Posts: 2,682
    Dang man. You did good. 

    2-XLs ,MM,blackstone,Ooni koda 16,R&V works 8.5 gallon fryer,express smoker and 40" smoking cajun 

    scott 
    Greenville Tx
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,475
    Damn that looks good. 
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.com
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TideEggHead
    TideEggHead Posts: 1,345
    Thanks for sharing brother! The plate and documentation are gorgeous! I have also thought about doing some whole duck but have been skeptical. Most of what we shoot around here are wood ducks and we normally breast those out. I’ll be book marking this for later! I my try this for New Years!
    LBGE
    AL
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    @TideEggHead I’m jealous. We rarely see wood ducks here. This has been a bit of a lean year for ducks as it has been so dry.
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    Incredible cook and write-up @SciAggie! That is something to be proud of right there. 

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,923
    very nice!

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,974
    caliking said:
    And, again... I wonder what it would take for you to adopt me. 

    Outstanding. 
    And I'm Cali's brother.  We're a package deal, I'm coming too.
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Cookbook_Chip
    Cookbook_Chip Posts: 1,299
    Wow.  You're always an inspiration!
    Lovin' my Large Egg since May 2012 (Richmond, VA) ... and makin' cookbooks at https://FamilyCookbookProject.com
    Stoker II wifi, Thermapen, and a Fork for plating photo purposes
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 11,589
    Very impressive. If it tasted half as good as it looked, you did well. How was the skin?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    GrateEggspectations said:u
    Very impressive. If it tasted half as good as it looked, you did well. How was the skin?
    The skin was good. Not quite as crispy as I wanted, but very acceptable. I’m ready to go for round II. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TideEggHead
    TideEggHead Posts: 1,345
    SciAggie said:
    @TideEggHead I’m jealous. We rarely see wood ducks here. This has been a bit of a lean year for ducks as it has been so dry.
    They are beautiful for sure. We don’t see much else at least in the 5 years we’ve been hunting. A few mallards and a couple redheads is it. We did see some buffleheads a few weeks ago passing through. I’d love to get a drake gadwall, those are pretty ducks too. 

    Yes, compared to last year this year has been lean for us too. We’ve only been skunked one day this season though so I’ll take that! Maybe January will be better, hope y’all start getting on em! Looking forward to trying this recipe.
    LBGE
    AL
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CPARKTX2
    CPARKTX2 Posts: 222
    Wow, fantastic! Great work. I live duck and will have to try this. Also jealous of your awesome stone oven. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories