The verdict? Hubby said this one was probably a keeper! He wants me to try the same dish with chicken. I think the flavors will be a little too strong, especially the anise. We'll give it a try and see.
It’s time for Crock Pot Wednesday! I hope you will share a favorite slow cooker recipe by linking up with Mister Linky below. Thanks for choosing to be here.
Arkansas is home to some exceptionally good duck hunting, and Hubby does his fair share of the sport. If I were to figure the cost per pound of duck meat…well, let’s just say that I KNOW I am better off NOT knowing that! It is the 
only hunting that he does on a regular basis so I can’t really complain. The problem is: he doesn’t like to eat duck! Every year I try some new duck recipe to see if I can change that. So far, however, I haven’t had much luck. Casseroles, stews, soups, grill variations…nope, none were to his liking. I consider it my personal quest to make duck a way that will appeal to him. I came across this Williams-Sonoma recipe this summer and have saved it to try on him this season.
The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart, Arkansas is the longest running calling contest in history. Since 1936 the greatest duck callers from across the United States and Canada have gathered during the weekend after Thanksgiving in order to determine who the World Champion. The winner usually ends up with a grand endorsement contract.
Stuttgart bills itself as the Duck Hunting Capital of the World. The contest is the central event in the Wings Over the Prairie Festival which has been touted by several travel publications as the best party around. We missed it this year because we were out of town for Thanksgiving, but I read that it set records again for attendance.
Hubby has hunted with the same group of guys for years. They are an “informal” club with none of the very expensive trappings that can be associated with duck hunting in this state. They lease fields from Stuttgart-area farmers who agree to sink their pit blinds and flood the fields. While I don’t hunt, I do go with him a few times every year. I even went one morning. But after getting up at 4 a.m. to go sit in a FREEZING pit blind, I decided that I much preferred the late afternoon hunts:) I enjoy watching the ducks work and the beautiful sunsets that I often get to see.
For Christmas this year, I think Hubby will receive a hunt at Bayou Meto Lodge which is owned and operated by one of our former neighbors, Adam Newcomb. It’s a terrific place, and I know Hubby will love it.
Adam and his sister, Katie, grew up across the street from us. Katie considered Hubby to be “her bestest friend” and would come over to ask if he could come out and play with her:) She’s an avid duck hunter herself.
One of my fellow teachers, Mark, often serves as a guide and caller at Bayou Meto. He and Hubby constantly harass one another about who has killed the most or the best ducks.
You’d think with all of these duck hunters around us that one of us would have been able to prepare something that Hubby would enjoy. Since I’m preparing this dish for Monday evening, I’ll update you with his opinion of it on Wednesday. The smell coming from my crock pot was amazing when I got home this afternoon.
3 Tablespoons canola oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds boneless duck breasts, trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
1 star anise, broken into pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
6 baby bok choy (about 2 pounds), each cut lengthwise into quarters
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub the mixture all over the duck breasts. Place in the pan, skin side down and cook until well browned, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pour off all but a thin coating of fat in the pan. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and star anise and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions begin to soften, about 3 . Add the broth and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the sugar, soy sauce and hoisin sauce and bring to a boil.
Transfer the duck breasts to the slow cooker. Pour the broth mixture over the duck. Cover and cook until the duck is very tender and the sauce is thick, 2 hours on HIGH or 4 1/2 hours on LOW. Uncover and skim as much fat as possible from the surface. Arrange the bok choy around the breasts, pushing it slightly into the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the bok choy is tender, about 30 minutes more.
Slice the duck breasts on the diagonal and arrange the slices on warmed plates with the bok choy. Spoon any remaining sauce on top and serve at once.
Serve with steamed jasmine rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water and the drained rice. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the rice is tender, 25-30 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
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