It really is all about the right tool for the job. In this case it was a Canadian belt knife and it worked wonders on breasting out my little Green Wing Teal. The other ducks came apart about as perfectly. You know, in the catalog for the company I ordered the knife from it was described as being akin to a surgeon's blade. While that may be true I certainly wouldn't want me operating on myself or anyone else but I think I did OK for a damn duck hunter. I mean, the intestines and entire body cavity are still intact! Try doing that sometime, it ain't easy.
So the birds have been butchered and cooked and mixed with this and that and are all currently steaming along wrapped in handmade masa and corn husks. Yep, my little guys are well on their way to being spicy and tasty tamales. I'm going to make some green beans and maybe wild rice in a bit and that'll be that, good meal and well earned. I also made creme brulee because I'm kind of in to custards. Whatever, it's a good excuse to use a chef's torch and caramelize some sugar. I like cooking but I wish I were good enough to go without a recipe. I did freestyle the duck tamales but I had to look up the masa preparation. I think it'll be good, instead of water or chicken stock I used some of the left over duck broth. Double the duck might be tasty!
OK, off to the Natural History Museum for a nigh time lecture on Darwin's Origin of the Species, which turns 100 years old this year. The museum is doing a lecture and tour of part of the museum every Friday night for the year and it's only $9 to get in! Personally, I think this is brilliant but the addition of DJs and a band after the lecture and tour seems sort of silly. I guess I'm a snob and/or old but I really don't feel like sticking around to dance around the grounds of the museum. Tonight the tour is going through the ornithology wing of the joint and I plan on not saying anything about my status as a bird murder, Alex. A bird murderer!
Peace out, bitches!
4 comments:
damn, damn, damn! how cool is your life? the duck prep/cooking sounds divine!!! the museum lecture tour sounds fantastic! these are the things that make me miss la...*le sigh*
Do you find them a bit gamey tasting? Do you have to marinate them in something before cooking? Grandma Alice used to soak them in rice wine vinegar for half a day to get the "wildness" out of the meat, whatever that means.
At any rate, you should keep a journal of all your game recipes for the first edition of the "If if Flys, It Dies" cookbook. I offer two names for the dish you describe - Duck Masa or Blind Tamales.
Pops
duck masa? blind tamales? sweet jaysus, you need to come home, salah! i fear to much jet lag has sent you over da edge!
Blind Tamales it is! In regards to the duck, not gamey at all but all of these were smaller ducks. I suspect the larger ducks, like mallards and pintails, might be the gamey ones. They smell a little funny when they're cooking but other than that, delicious! One day I'll make some for you guys.
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