Roast duck with salt pork
This is a favored roasting method, and roasting the birds breast down will keep the meat moist and flavor full as it cooks in the juices.
Ingredients:
2 or 3 good sized whole plucked ducks, such as mallards, widgeon, gadwall, or pintail.
1 cup dry red wine
1 /2 cup water
slices of salt pork (one for each duck)
1 /2 tsp thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, and basil for each bird
One medium-sized onion
Lime juice
1/4 cup wild or cremini mushrooms per bird
Directions: Rub birds down with lime juice inside and out. Let the birds sit for 1/2 hour. Rinse, and place birds in a smoker for 45 minutes. Remove the birds from the smoker and rub the spices into the skin.
Chop the onion and mushrooms into good sized pieces, and stuff loosely into the bird’s cavities. Place in roasting pan, breast down. Place a single strip of salt pork on the back of each bird. DO NOT add any other salt. Add the wine and water.
Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve with wild rice, French bread, and salad greens.
