Duck Two Ways: Classy Duck Ravioli & Ducky Dirty Rice

Whether you harvest ducks from the wild or directly from your farm, this duck recipe will give you something to cheer about! The same duck combination can be used to create two tummy-warming meals.

BASIC DUCK MIXTURE RECIPE

4 Duck Breasts (aka the breasts of 2 ducks)
1 Large Onion
2 Stalks Celery
1 Can of Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Pre-cooked Chopped Bacon
1/2 Pound Shredded Havarti Cheese
Salt, Pepper & Spice to taste

I prepared my duck breasts by cooking them in a crockpot with a spoonful of bacon fat and a cup of water. You can use any method you wish to achieve a nice tender bite on your cooked duck.

While the breasts cook, prepare the onions, celery, and mushrooms by dicing them small and cooking them over low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper to caramelize. When almost finished, add your pre-cooked bacon and cook for another 5 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.

Shred the Havarti cheese, set aside.

When the duck is done, allow to cool and chop into small/medium-sized pieces. Add all ingredients together — the duck, the onion/celery/bacon/mushroom mixture and the cheese.

Note: This mixture also makes great fried or steamed dumplings using wonton wrappers! Pair with a nice sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

Classy Duck Ravioli with Garlicky Caper Butter Sauce and Broccoli

1/2 Basic Duck Mixture
1 pkg pre-made pasta sheets
3 Tbsp Butter
6 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp Pickled Capers
 Salt, Pepper and Parmesan Cheese to taste

To create the ravioli, place a large ball of filling on the bottom pasta sheet. With your fingertip, dampen the edges of the sheet before placing the top pasta sheet. Seal edges by crimping with a fork. Set aside onto a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Continue until all ravioli are made, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook your meal. Makes approximately 12 large ravioli.

Prepare the Garlic Caper Butter Sauce prior to boiling your pasta. In a small pan, gently warm your butter and garlic. Add the olive oil and capers and keep warm until you are ready to plate.

Steam or boil your broccoli to the tenderness you prefer and season with salt and pepper.

Fill a pot with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Gently place your ravioli into the boiling water a few at a time. When your ravioli float or when the pasta appears less dough-like, they will be ready. Lift from water with a slotted spoon and plate.

To complete the dish, plate 3 ravioli per person along with a generous helping of broccoli. Drizzle with the warm caper sauce and top with Parmesan cheese. I serve with crusty garlic bread and a nice glass of wine.

Dirty Duck Wild Rice

1/2 Basic Duck Mixture
3-4 Servings of prepared rice

This meal is super simple to prepare. You can cheat and use packaged seasoned rice, wild rice, plain rice, brown rice, etc. We really enjoy Par Excellence Garden Harvest Rice purchased from Sam’s Club. It works perfectly in this one-dish meal. Just prepare the rice as directed. While the rice is piping hot, add the Basic Duck Mixture and combine. Serve with your choice of vegetable side.

There are many great meal possibilities to be had if you start with a well-flavored basic meal mixture such as this. Don’t be afraid to play with it. If you like your ravioli a bit more cheesy, add ricotta, cream cheese or mascarpone. No Havarti in sight? Try Gouda, Swiss, Mozzarella or your most beloved cheese. If you don’t like duck, make the recipe with chicken, ground beef, venison or turkey.

Just remember, you don’t have to work super hard to create spectacular meals on the farm. With a little planning and forethought, anyone can enjoy fine dining on the farm…or where ever you call home.