Wild Duck With Cranberry Glaze

As I always say, once you've got your ducks in a row, eat them.

Ingredients

The Meat:

• 1 duck breast cut into cubes or strips (smoked duck is more flavorful, but you can also cheat and rub the meat with liquid smoke)

• 2 duck drumsticks (optional)

• Duck fat or other frying oil. If you don’t have duck fat fry a piece of duck fat in the skillet along with your duck meat

• Salt & pepper to taste

The hash brown cake:

• 1 large russet potato

• 2 T. ghee

• Salt & pepper to taste

Cranberry Glaze:

• ¾ cup wild highbush cranberries fresh or frozen (regular cranberries can be substituted. If there’s no cranberries any juicy red tart berries or pomegranates will work )

• ½ cup water

• 2 tsp. cornstarch

• 2 T. maple sugar or maple syrup

Instructions

The Meat:

  1. Heat fat in skillet over medium high heat then add the duck meat and fry, turning to ensure even browning on all sides.
  2. Add salt & pepper and fry until breast strips are caramelized.

The hash brown cake:

  1. Peel and grate the entire potato then rinse thoroughly in cold water squeezing the water out of the spud mix when done.
  2. Place on paper towel or clean cloth and dry the hash by wrapping and pressing.
  3. Melt ghee or duck fat into a skillet over medium high heat.
  4. When skillet is fully heated press the potatoes into the centre of the skillet pressing down lightly to form a cake then add seasonings.
  5. place a lid on the skillet, turn burner down to medium and set timer for 5 minutes. Do not lift the lid for entire 5 minutes. This is important as the steam cooks the middle of the hash brown!
  6. When timer sounds, use a large flipper to flip the cake and fry the other side without the lid until it’s golden brown (approx. 3 minutes). Add more oil if it gets dry.
  7. Remove from heat. This will be the base for the rest of this dish.

Cranberry Glaze:

  1. Place the berries in a small saucepan and add half of the water.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring gently not to crush all of the berries.
  3. When berries reach full boil turn heat to medium low and stir in the sweetener.
  4. Add cornstarch to remaining water and whisk with a fork.
  5. Pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan while stirring the berries to prevent any lumping.
  6. Remove from heat. This glaze will be used to drizzle over the duck.

Plating: Place the hash brown onto the middle of a large plate then place duck pieces over this arranging them however you wish. Then spoon the cranberries over the duck, saving a bit of the glaze to drizzle over top.   Optional: sprinkle fresh leafy greens over this for additional colour.