Hunting Knowledge Hub

Instructions: 

• When preparing a bird for breasting, leave the skin on as this provides fat and flavour.
• Season both sides with salt or your preferred seasoning. Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a little oil, then place the breast skin-side down.
• Cook for about 4 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden.
• Flip and cook for another 4 minutes.
• The goal is medium so the breast should still be pink in the centre.
• Overcooking the breast can make the meat dry and strong-tasting.
• Serve with your condiment of choice.

Instructions: 

• Start by patting the duck dry with paper towels.
• Drizzle some oil on the duck before seasoning generously with salt, including inside the cavity. You can add herbs inside for extra flavour.
• Preheat your oven to 250°C.
• Place the duck breast-side down in a roasting tray and cook for about 22 minutes. Smaller ducks may need a bit less time; large drakes may need a bit more.
• Once done, rest the duck for 4–5 minutes before carving.
• There should be some pinkness remaining in the breast.  

The very best thing about this style of cooking is that it gives you a great opportunity to use some of those frozen ducks you have stored away since last May, and these cooked birds make a great festive dish. Care is required, the biggest problem you’ll find when cooking over the grill is that the fat drips onto the flames, which can very quickly lead to a fire. Here are some tips to help you control the cooking.

Serves: 8 – 10 

Ingredients:

• 2 ducks
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Fresh thyme, rosemary or herb of your choice, or your preferred spice rub (optional)
• 2 teaspoons honey

Instructions:

1. Tie the legs tightly together using cotton string – not nylon, as it will melt
2. Place the skewer through the duck and skewer on both sides with the sliding skewers. Tighten the screws. On most rotisseries you will be able to cook 2 ducks.
3. Rub salt into the duck; you may wish to use a herb or spice rub instead of, or as well as.
4. Turn on the barbecue to low and start the rotisserie, with the ducks turning over the open grill side of the barbecue. Lower the lid.
5. After 10-15 minutes the juices will start to drip and it is then that some flames will start flashing. This does provide the initial flavouring you are after, but watch closely; if it gets too hot, turn off the gas. If you leave it too long and the duck does start burning, take the skewer off the grill, turn off the gas and restart as follows.
6. At this point leave the gas going only under the griddle part of the grill so there is no direct flame for the sizzling juices to drop onto. The gas should only be on low. Drop the cover and cook at between 150˚C and 200˚C. If you do not have a griddle part on your barbecue, place an old roasting tray underneath the ducks to collect the juices to prevent them from hitting the flames. Brush the ducks with watered-down honey towards the end of the cooking.
7. The ducks will be beautifully cooked after 1 ½ hours. Each barbecue is different, but if you have these notes handy I’m sure it will work for you.

Chef: Tony Smith, Riversmiths NZ Photographer: Deborah Aspray

Due to its fine texture duck can be sliced really thinly and is superb when married with salad leaves, sweet-sour dressings, or fruit. This spring salad is very easy to put together and will find favour with anyone who enjoys light fresh tastes as well as the traditional game aficionados. It is a little unusual in that the kumara and onion are served warm and the remaining components cold. All these processes can be done ahead of time and the salad assembled as required.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large kumara, peeled and cut into 5mm slices
• 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cooked duck (roasted or slow-cooked)
• 1 heaped teaspoon kamahi other New Zealand native honey
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups mixed salad leaves of your choice
• about 20 green grapes, halved

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place the kumara in a roasting dish, add the onion and season with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, turn them over and cook until tender and a little coloured.
3. Cut off the duck legs and carve the meat off the bones. Remove the breasts by cutting along the centre of the back, down, around and through the wing knuckle. Carve into thin slices and keep aside.
4. Mix together the honey, mustard and vinegar, and slowly whisk in the oil until a nice, rich consistency.
5. To serve, arrange the warmed kumara and onion onto 4 plates. Place a portion of salad leaves on each. Arrange the carved duck and grapes on the salad and spoon over the dressing.

Chef: Tony Smith, Riversmiths NZ Photographer: Deborah Aspray

Ingredients: 

• 4 duck breasts
• 2 teaspoon spice-rub of your choice
• 4 white globe turnips (you can use whole or halved radish, they taste just like turnips when cooked)
• 2 apples, wild or Granny Smiths
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 100mls water
• A little cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon corn flour

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºc
2. Peel and cut the small turnips into wedges, cook in a little salted water until just tender, cool and keep aside.
3. Wipe the duck breasts dry with kitchen paper towels, sprinkle over and pat in the spice rub, heat a pan, one that can be placed directly in the oven, add a little oil and fry the breasts until nicely coloured.  Place in your oven and cook for 8 minutes turning once, add the turnips when turning to take on the roasting flavours.
4. Place the breasts and turnips onto a plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
5. Finely dice the apple and cook in the same cooking pan, stirring to include all the cooking residues, add the brown sugar, then the balsamic vinegar, add water, simmer for a couple of minutes, pour in any juices that have been released from the resting breasts. Finally stir in the cornflour that has been dissolved in a dessertspoon of water, cook to nice consistency, season to taste.
6. Carve the breasts crosswise into thin slices, arrange on plates along with the turnips spoon over the sauce and apples.

Photography: Deborah Aspray

In testing this recipe I used a small spoonbill duck, one is just right for two servings, otherwise the mallard is fine. The lime leaves are very aromatic and a great addition to the more traditional herbs we use. They can be bought fresh or frozen at
most Asian specialty stores. Worth growing a potted tree for this actually, I say a pot as they are very frost tender and for most of
New Zealand they will need to be under cover for the winter. Mine becomes a pot plant inside for 4 months.

Ingredients:

• 1 spoonbill or mallard duck
• ½ a medium sized onion (75g)
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 slices wholegrain toast bread
• 50g shelled walnuts
• 30 ml olive oil
• One fresh lime (small lemon okay)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 50 ml cream

Instructions: 

1. Dice the onion and fry in the olive oil, roll the lime leaves and slice into very thin strips, alternatively crush them in a mortar with a pestle, add to the onions.
2. Make fresh breadcrumbs in a food processor, when they are fine, add the walnuts and process until they are incorporated but not too fine.  Add the onions and kaffir lime, season a little with salt and pepper.
3. Wipe out the inside of the duck with kitchen towel paper and stuff the duck with the mixture. Tie the legs together, rub in a little oil and seasoning.
4. Cook in an oven pre-heated to 160ºc for around 1½ hours, turning a few times.
5. Take the duck out of the roasting tray. To make a simple pan gravy, pour off any fat from the pan, place the roasting pan onto a direct heat, add the juice from the lime/lemon, 50mls water, and the cream, simmer to a nice consistency, this will only take a couple of minutes, season to taste, strain.
6. Carve the duck; serve with the stuffing and the pan sauce.

Chef: Tony Smith, Riversmiths NZ, Photographer: Deborah Aspray

We asked him to share his burger recipe with us from his Fish + Game Cookbook! Abundant and widespread, the native pūkeko flourishes in most parts of New Zealand. They are large birds and are sometimes called swamphens. Their meat is often underrated but is delicious and tender, and there’s plenty to go around! Pūkeko can be harvested during the game bird hunting season (check your local regulations)

Serves:

2 (two burgers)

Ingredients:

Pukeko Patties

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ small onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
• a good pinch of smoked paprika
• 300g Pūkeko breasts, minced
• salt and pepper
• a good knob of butter

To serve

• 2 rashers rindless bacon
• 2 thin slices raw beetroot (a mandolin is good here for thin slices)
• 2 brioche buns, split and lightly toasted, if wished
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• a handful of mesclun (small young salad leaves)1 tablespoon tamarillo chutneyor similar
• 2-4 slices cheddar cheese

Instructions: 

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a small oven dish with baking paper.
2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until browned, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and smoked paprika and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. Put the minced Pūkeko meat in a large bowl and add the cooled onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Use wet hands to shape the mixture into two patties. Return the frying pan to medium heat, add the butter and as it begins to sizzle add the patties. Brown for 3-4 minutes on both sides then transfer to the oven dish and put in the oven to cook through, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, put the bacon rashers in the frying pan and cook until crisp on both sides. Remove and put on kitchen paper to drain. Put the beetroot slices in the frying pan and cook quickly until just tender.
5. To stack each burger, spread the mayonnaise over each brioche bun base and top with the salad leaves. Add a hot Pūkeko patty and a dollop of chutney.
6. Top with the cheese, bacon and beetroot and close each burger with its top and voila - the messier the better!

Chef: Angelo Georgalli

This resource is a nice addition to the kitchen and a great present to the hunter and chef in the family. It can be purchased here.