Grub Hacker

Wild Duck Stock

In preparation for making duck pot pies this weekend, my friend and I started some wild duck stock.  My good friend is an avid hunter and we have hunted together our whole lives.  Our fathers and grandfathers had always cooked great meals out of wild game, although very simply prepared.  Recently we have began cooking a lot of wild game with classic culinary techniques and paying close attention to meat temperature and doneness.  Here is the recipe for our wild duck stock.

Wild Duck Stock

4-5 wild ducks carcases, Breast, legs and wings removed.(we used mallards)
3 carrots, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
2 onions chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, bruised
4 bay leaves
bunch of thyme
bunch of parsley stems
Glug of olive oil
Salt
Pepper


Saute carrots, onion and celery for 5 minute in olive oil in a large stock pot.
 Add a nice fat pinch of both pepper and salt while sauteing.
Add Garlic and Saute for 1 minute
Add duck carcases and other ingredients and fill water 3-5 inches over the ducks.

Keep heat regulated to just under a simmer.  You don't want to see active bubbles in the pot but you should see a heft amount of steam coming out of the pot. 

Start skimming white/grey foam or small particulate every 30 minutes starting after 1 hour of cooking

Cook for 10-20 hours depending on how rich you would like your stock

Strain stock through a fine Chinois when complete

Quail with Winter Black Truffles, thyme and Riesling

After a wonderful trip to Fox & Obel in Chicago today we picked up some amazing things including these quail and some fresh winter black truffles and duck fat.  I designed this recipe to be simple yet powerful in its flavors with utmost respect and to never overpower the flavors of the quail.

Pan Fried Quail with black truffles, thyme and Riesling

The deg-lacing of the pan with German Riesling sounds a bit odd considering the earthy powers of the quail, thyme and black truffles. The combo does pairs well and adds a slightly sweet dimension to the already earthy flavors of the truffle, thyme and duck fat.

Quail Seasoning

8 Quail
2 TBS duck fat
1 TBS minced Thyme
.02 -1/4 oz fresh black winter truffles
1 tsp fleur de sel
1/2 tsp black petter

Finley chop black truffles and thyme.
Microwave duck fat in small bowl for 1 minute or until just melted
mix all ingredients into duck fat

Clean and pat dry Quail

Eye your total liquid that you just made and realize you need to save 1/4 of it.

With the remaining 3/4 liquid rub equally under the skin of the quail breasts.

Cooking the Quail

Heat 2-3 TBS Duck fat over MedHI heat

cook 4-5 minutes each side until brown and crispy
remove and tent with foil

Riesling Quail Reduction Sauce

1/4 cup German Gewurztraminer or Riesling
Remaining duck, thyme and truffles from first step
1/8tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

drain remaining oil from saute pan used to cook quail
put pan back on MedHI heat until lightly smoking
pour wine in pan and scrape to loosen fond and reduce to slightly thickened
turn off heat and stir remaining mixture of duck fat thyme and truffles
stir in salt and pepper

Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon, NEVER A WHISK!!!!!! 

You should not whisk your wine sauces as whisking creates smaller wine molecules yet leaves fat molecules large and with the dominate flavor profile in your finished sauce.  A wine and butter sauce that has been whisked will no doubt leave a predominate butter flavor wish very little signs of the wine. If you stir your sauces with a spoon vs a whisk it allows the wine molecules to stay in proportionate size to fat molecules thus creating balanced wine and butter flavors.

Drizzle sauce over each quail and serve with a good roasted root vegetable