Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Marinate the Wild Duck
- Lay the duck breast halves on a cutting board and pat them dry on all sides with paper towels so the marinade sticks well.
- Use a sharp knife to trim off any silver skin or very tough bits from the duck breasts on the cutting board so they cook evenly.
- Add ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp minced garlic, ½ tsp hot sauce, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp salt to a large mixing bowl using measuring cups and measuring spoons.
- Stir the marinade with a spoon until it looks smooth and the garlic is spread out, then drop the duck breasts into the bowl.
- Toss the duck around in the marinade with the spoon until every piece is coated, then cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Prep the Grill
- Clean your grill grates with a grill brush, then set up the grill for medium-high heat, leaving one side a little cooler if you can.
- Light the grill following your grill’s controls, then close the lid and let it preheat until the grates feel hot when you carefully hold your hand near them.
- Pour a little oil onto a folded paper towel, hold it with grill tongs, and wipe the hot grates so the duck is less likely to stick.
Grill the Duck Breasts
- Take the mixing bowl out of the fridge, then lift the duck breasts out of the marinade with grill tongs, letting extra liquid drip back into the bowl.
- Lay the duck breasts on the hot side of the grill grates using grill tongs, spacing them out so air can move around each piece.
- Grill the duck for a few minutes on the first side with the lid closed until you see good grill marks and the edges start to look cooked.
- Flip each duck breast over with grill tongs, then keep grilling with the lid closed until the outside looks nicely browned.
- Move the duck breasts to the cooler side of the grill with grill tongs and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of one breast to check the internal temperature.
- Keep grilling on the cooler side until the thermometer reads about 135°F for medium-rare or up to 150°F if you like it more done, then move the duck to a clean plate with grill tongs.
Rest and Serve
- Let the grilled duck breasts rest on the plate for about 5 to 10 minutes so the juices settle before slicing.
- Transfer the rested duck breasts to a cutting board, then slice them across the grain into strips using a sharp knife.
- Spoon cooked potatoes or rice onto serving plates using a spoon, lay the sliced duck on top, and sprinkle chopped parsley over everything for color.
Notes
- Wild duck is lean, so pulling it off the grill around medium-rare with a meat thermometer helps keep it juicy instead of dry.
- If your grill flares up from any fat or marinade drips, slide the duck over to the cooler side with grill tongs until the flames calm down.
- You can bump the heat a little at the end for extra char, just watch closely so the garlic in the marinade does not burn.
