Recipe - Louisiana Duck

Ducks
Red pepper
Salt

INGREDIENTS PER COOKING POT
1 Bay leaf
3 (up to)
4 Stalks celery
2 lg Onions (green onions
with tops are fine too)
1 Bell pepper
1 Handful parsley

Allow ducks to thaw, if frozen, or use fresh ducks. About 6 hours or more
before serving, make a mixture of red pepper (or cayenne) and salt enough
to rub all the inside and outside of the duckslet marinate until ready to
cook.

For best results use iron kettles or Dutch ovens. Heat the pots and add
either bacon drippings or vegetable oil until hotsear the ducks on all
sides. After searing, add about Three fourths cup hot water and cover. Keep vapor
going enough to keep a good steam. If too low, will simmerif too high,
will burn. Watch closely and add water every 15 minutes, or when water
starts cooking out. If the ducks are young and tender, cook about 45
minutes to 1 hour, just adding water. If older ducks, cook about 11/2
hours.

In the meantime, chop fine the ingredients for each pot (approximate
amounts).

Add vegetables to each pot and taste to see if more salt is needed. Keep
addint hot water in small amounts as abovebe sure to check closely after
adding vegetables and gravy thickens to be sure it does not burn.

You can tell when the ducks are done by pressing a fork down on the
breastboneif the meat separates from the bone, they are done. The
vegetables should cook down to a thick roux. After adding the vegetables,
it should take about 1One half to 2 hours to finish cooking. Serve gravy with
rice (the gravy will be piquant, the duck will not taste too hot).

Dove, pheasant or turkey can also be cooked this way.

TIME INCLUDES MARINATING

From a collection of my mother's (Judy Hosey) recipe box which contained
lots of her favorite recipes, clippings, etc. Downloaded from Glen's MM
Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.