Baked Duck Breasts in Orange Glaze
One of my all-time favorite outdoor stories is Robert Ruark’s account, from The Old Man and the Boy, of the occasion when he and his grandfather hunted ducks and fished with some Cajun friends of the Old Man down in Louisiana. Every time I read the piece, and I’ve read it at least a dozen times, my salivary glands kick into involuntary overdrive. Ruark was that good at describing food, and of course the geographical setting meant feasting on fish, shellfish and waterfowl.
If that’s one of my favorite stories, it’s nicely balanced by this offering being one of my favorite recipes.
You’ll need:
- 2 duck breasts, filleted into four pieces
- 1 ½ sticks butter (no substitutes)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives (or three tablespoons dried ones)
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- Black pepper to taste
- Slight dash of cinnamon
Fillet the breasts from two ducks and wash thoroughly. Line a baking dish or pan with aluminum foil and leave enough foil to seal after the ingredients are added. Cut butter into chunks and distribute evening over duck breasts. Place a bay leaf on each fillet. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients on top of the duck breasts. Close foil securely and bake for an hour and 15 minutes or until tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Orange Sauce
You’ll need:
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar, and nutmeg. Bring to a rolling boil, add cornstarch, and stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and drizzle over duck breasts or serve separately in a gravy boat.
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In company with his late wife, Ann, Jim Casada wrote a number of cookbooks focusing on game or foods from the wild. One of those, The Complete Venison Cookbook, is available from him or the Sporting Classics Store. Jim’s next book, Fishing for Chickens: A Smokies Food Memoir, is due out from the University of Georgia Press in mid-2022. He is currently taking advance reservations for copies. To reserve a copy or learn more about his many other books, include his recent multi-award winning A Smoky Mountain Boyhood: Memories, Musings, and More, visit his website at www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com or e-mail him at jimcasada@comporium.net.
Hundreds of kitchen-tested recipes make this cookbook your answer to a table of hungry hunters or out-of-town guests! Even the choosiest of eaters will enjoy the savory variety of recipes from crockpot cookery to venison on the grill.
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