Today's duck report

[Barnacle Bill]

Limited again today. 3 mature male Gadwalls, 2 mature male Roughnecks and 1 mature female Ringneck. It was a grind. Took me about 3 hours instead of the usual 45 minutes. I really liked the Winchester Dry lock #4's.

All meat and hearts vacuum packed.

Feathers will be used to tie flies.

[Spoonbill]

Nice. I'd sure like to get a ringneck. Hit a little dry spell here lately (on all ducks), hope to end it.

[Yaklash]

Please tell me you are not discarding the gizzards....best part of a duck or goose, IMO.

[Bigrock]

Please tell me you are not discarding the gizzards....best part of a duck or goose, IMO.

How big is a duck gizzard and how do you prepare it? Livers also?

[Bigrock]

Bill, I've been wondering why the ducks have not made it to Mertzon yet.

[Barnacle Bill]

Those gizzards are crazy. Some are huge. I haven't been keeping them. I just keep the hearts mand meat.

How do you clean a gizzard? It seems like they would be tough as hell to eat.

[Yaklash]

Those gizzards are crazy. Some are huge. I haven't been keeping them. I just keep the hearts mand meat.

How do you clean a gizzard? It seems like they would be tough as hell to eat.

You certainly get more bang for the buck with goose gizzards as they are larger than those of a duck, but both are really good. Cleaning them is washing, drying and then pulling or cutting the extra fat and membrane from the surface. I avoid using a sharp knife so I don't accidentally cut the outer layer.

You want to cook them low and slow. I will collect gizzards from a big hunt with lots of people or from several hunts, to where I have at least a pound; maybe two. Put them in a stew pot (a tall narrow pot is best) with good clean water (if you live where the water is heavily treated, use filtered water) a lot more water than gizzards. Add a handful of green onions, 2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole, a teaspoon of whole peppercorns, a big (or two small) whole jalapeños and a teaspoon of salt per pound of gizzards. Very important to start with room temp water and slowly bring to a simmer, otherwise they be tough. Simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours. When done, remove the gizzards and set aside, strain the solids from the remaining broth, reduce for a while, until you have a rich broth. Boil some water in a separate pot for egg noodles. Start a gravy from the broth. However you like to make gravy (roux or cornstarch) and season to taste with salt and pepper, slice the gizzards as thinly as you can, add the sliced gizzards to the gravy as it simmers and ladle the gizzards and gravy over the noodles.

I have also put this over grits as a sort of Grits and Grillades.


The old man who taught me this recipe would put them on in the morning, go to work and go home at lunch (lived 5 minutes from his office), and turn off the heat, leaving them to steep til he got home, then do the rest.

[Barnacle Bill]

Gracias amigo!! I am going to try that out!!

[TexasDaddy]

At the bottom of this page is a short video "how-to" on cleaning gizzards. Haven't tried any of his recipes though. Have heard that he has no bad ones though. Hope it helps...

http://honest-food.net/wild-game/duck-goose-recipes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Spoonbill]

For whatever reason, perhaps just chance, the last three times I ate duck gizzards I got a stomach ache. I do have a weak stomach, though. Cleaned them good, cut off the membrane, and the birds were from three different hunts.

I'll go back to saving them, but maybe use them for dog treats. Now duck livers and hearts, no way will those go to dogs

[yakinthebox]

Call me crazy and not trying to ruffle any feathers, but those gadwalls definitely look like hens to me(or immature drakes)... The male Gadwall has a solid black bill, not yellow...

Nice hunt either way...