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saltwater waterfowl vs freshwater waterfowl

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Duck'in Around 
#1 ·
Hello Everyone,

I have a cooking or prep question. I hunt in NY and only on saltwater marshes. All of the ducks and geese live and feed there. I have been hunting for years and have yet to find a method to clean these birds or flush their systems of the saltwater environment. Simply put what can I do to get the skank out of them. Geese are the worst and divers second. Mergansers I never shoot. I generally hunt only mallards but even they have a heavy odor. I have tasted fresh water birds and they are totally different. I believe that it is what they are eating that causes the problem with the meat. Does anyone have any idea what I can try? I always get all the blood out of the meat prior to cooking. I have tried cooking them thru and leaving them cooked medium and both are still a problem. I have used several marinades but find that they just mask the bad taste. Most of my friends feed there catches to their dogs. I am hoping that there is a way to do this so I can enjoy a meal.
 
#3 ·
Buttermilk usually does the trick. Some people do a heavy salt brine soak for 24 hours then to buttermilk for the next 24. Two other things can help. Place freshly killed birds on their backs so the blood doesn't flood the breast meat. Second is tenderize and then put in buttermilk. The buttermilk acidity helps to pull out the funk. There are a couple of cooking methods too.. don't cook all the way through use a meat thermometer for the first few times. The over done duck is the surest way to get stanky meat. Try searing at high temps then letting the cooking continue off the heat. It takes a little practice but I find searing the best way to cook duck and not ruining the natural flavors.
 
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