Baked Duck or Goose and Sauerkraut

This recipe was written for wild duck which it works great for, but we have also used it for domestic duck and guinea fowl and also for wild pheasant.  We found the original version of this recipe in Wild Game Cooking Made Easy by John Schumacher, the Executive Chef at a restaurant in New Prague, MN.  Also check out our favorite duck recipe at:  http://couleeviewfarmcsa.blogspot.com/2010/12/baked-goose-or-duck-in-mushroom-wild.html

We have adapted it to the crock pot which works well for us as it can cook while we are working on the farm.  Here it is:

• Fowl.  Two medium sized wild ducks, or one wild goose, or one cut up domestic duck, or a couple pheasant (wild or domestic), or a couple guinea fowl, or a half of a domestic goose.
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock -- see our recipe included here  http://couleeviewfarmcsa.blogspot.com/2010/12/baked-goose-or-duck-in-mushroom-wild.html
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tsp caraway seed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups sauerkraut (we used home-made canned if we have it, otherwise Frank's works fine.  When serving, try adding some uncooked naturally fermented kraut, like Fizzeology to add more kraut flavor)

Clean and cut fowl into quarters.  Trim off excess fat and skin.  Dredge in flour.  Heat oil in a deep pan or Dutch oven and brown fowl on all sides.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Add remaining flour and stir to combine.  Add wine, chicken stock, brown sugar and spices.  Stir with a wooden spoon.  Be sure to stir in the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. 

Rinse kraut to remove salt, drain and add to mixture.  Cover and bake at 350 for 2 hours or on low in a crock pot until the meat is tender (6 - 8 hours).

Baked Goose or Duck in Mushroom Wild Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 wild ducks or 1 tame duck, cut into quarters (or 1 pheasant or 1 guinea fowl)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 cans cream of celery soup
• 2 cups halved fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Prep:
Clean and cut birds into quarters. In a large Dutch oven, place all ingredients. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours, until rice and meat are tender.  We usually place in a cockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until the meat is tender and rice is done.  Remove bay leaves.
Adapted from Wild Game Cooking Made Easy
Ingredients for Basic Chicken Stock:

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, scraped and cut into large pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 quarts water
• 1 leftover chicken carcass and pan drippings or stewing hen or necks and backs

Prep:
Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Allow everything to sit, with the heat off, for 30 minutes. Turn the heat on high, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the broth for a minimum of 6 hours-the longer the broth simmers, the richer it will be.
Strain the liquid, discarding the vegetables but reserving the carcass. Place broth in a container, cover tightly, and refrigerate. When it is chilled, skim the fat from the surface.
Pick off the remaining meat from the carcass, and either return the meat to the broth for chicken soup or use it to make something else( such as Chicken and rice).
Adapted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook

Asian-Style Duck with Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tamari
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 duck, about 4 1/2 pounds
• 3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a roasting pan with foil. Whisk together the tamari, honey, and wine. Set aside.

Rinse the duck, and pat it dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, prick the skin of the duck repeatedly to pierce through the layer of fat that lies underneath the skin, taking care not to puncture the meat. Set the duck, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan; place the garlic cloves and ginger in the cavity. Brush the duck with the tamari sauce, and roast for 1 1/4 hours. Remove the pan from the oven, brush the duck with more tamari sauce, and roast 20 minutes longer. Brush the duck with tamari sauce once more and increase oven temperature to 500 F. Continue roasting the duck until the skin becomes crisp, about another 15 minutes.

Remove the duck from the oven, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour the tamari sauce into a saucepan, and whisk in 1/2 cup of pan juices. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer the sauce until reduced by half. Pour the sauce over the carved duck, and serve with Peanut Noodles.

Ingredients for the Peanut Noodles:

• 1/2 pound vermicelli or soba noodles
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup strong black tea
• 1/2- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Dash of pepper sauce
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Prep:

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking, drain thoroughly, toss with the sesame oil, and set aside.

Put the peanut butter in a small saucepan, and slowly whisk in the tea. Heat the mixture until just melted, promptly remove from the heat, and stir in the ginger, garlic, honey, and pepper sauce.

Just before serving, toss the noodles with the peanut sauce and scallions, using your hands to ensure even coating.

Adapted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook