Roasted or Grilled Duck, Spatchcock Method

1-2 whole wild duck (any puddle duck), plucked and spatchcocked, skin on, (1/2 bird per person)
Salt and pepper
Chinese 5 spice powder
Cumin
Fresh Thyme

Take your spatchcock duck and lay it skin side up on a pan or cutting board. It is important for the duck to be dry in order to get crispy skin. Pat the duck dry and carefully score the skin—do not cut the meat. Scoring allows the duck you to expose the fat layer, so it renders and drains. Coat the duck with flaky salt and let it sit for 2-3 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, brush the salt off the bird and season with Chinese 5 spice, cumin and thyme. You can also use cracked pepper and garlic salt if preferred.

Oven method:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your skillet in the oven to heat along with the oven.

Once oven temperature is reached, place duck skin side down in the pan. Place the skillet back in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove the pan and flip the duck over. Insert a remote temperature gage and place the pan back into the oven. The duck is finished when the temperature probe reaches 125 (rare) – 130 (Med-rare). Remove the duck from the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the breasts from the bone and slice, one breast per person.

Grill Method:
Turn on your grill to high. Place a cast iron grill pan or skillet in the grill to heat along with the grill. Follow the same directions for the oven method.

Serve with wild rice or grits and a plum or port or other game sauce.

Notes: We prefer the grill method when doing more than two birds as our oven will smoke at high temperatures. Alternative to breasting the bird after cooking, you can also cut them down the sternum and serve a breast and leg on the bone, a ½ bird per person.