Mallard ◆

Canard colvert

What it is

Every farmed duck except the Muscovy descends from this bird, yet the wild one carries almost none of the fat domestication built in. A shot mallard has been flying and eating whatever it found, so no two taste alike — birds off grain stubble are noticeably sweeter than birds off open water.

In the kitchen

Keep the breasts only and take them off at 52 °C in the centre — there is no fat layer to buy you time, and a minute past rare it eats like dry liver. The legs are sinewy and belong in a confit or a pie; the carcass goes to stock.

Goes with

Turnip Juniper berry Blackcurrant Cabbage Red wine vinegar Celeriac Quince Black pepper

Same species

Pekin duck Century egg (pidan) Duck heart Duck confit Stuffed duck neck Duck

In season alongside

Goose Maitake Porcini Bay bolete Woodcock Snipe

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