Both Barrels May 2021

Opening Weekend2021was another stunning, beautiful dayperfect for barbecuing in the sunbut not so much for the duck hunting.

That being said,as per usual thosewithset ups where hunters had put in the mahi, reaped the rewards!

Our ranging teams throughout the regionencounteredlots of happy hunters with a variety of setups.

There was still the oddbit of misbehaviorwith a total offiveoffensesforthe weekend.

All weredue toeitherhunting without a licence orthe possession oflead shotnear a waterbody.

Here’s anotherduck recipe to try, courtesy of Hank Shaw.

Just make sure there are no steel pellets in yourduck before you put it through the mincer – one thing the mincer definitely does not like!

Italian Duck Meatballs

3lbsskinless duck breast ground with 1lbpork fat, chilled

2/3 cup milk

3 slicesstale good quality bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces

2 cups dried breadcrumbs

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cloves garlic finely minced

¼ cup parmesan

2 eggs

Olive oil (for frying)

Pour milk into a smallsaucepanover low heat.Add the bread to the pan and it will slowly absorb all the milk. Once all the milk is absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and mash the moistened bread into a paste. Let cool.

Place the meat mixture in a bowl. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, fennel seeds, thyme, garlic and cheese on top. Crack the two eggs into the bowl and add the bread-milk mixture.Mix together like you would a cake (don’t knead).

Create a ball in your palms, 2 – 3 inches in diameter. Place the breadcrumbs on a plate and roll the meatballs in the breadcrumbs. Repeat for the rest of the meat mixture. If you have time let them rest in the fridge for an hour to firm up.

Heat up a pan(cast iron is best)with oil to a depth of ½ an inch. Fry the meatballs for roughly 5 minutes on each side.Addyourfavouritepasta and pasta sauce.

Bonappetit!

Erin Garrick, Southland Fish & Game Officer.