Originally Posted by
MichelD
I find mallards are so delicious as is that I sure as hell wouldn't ruin the flavour with elaborate marinades or lengthy juice-soaking processes.
What we do is put half an onion and pieces of apple in the body cavity, season with marjoram and a tiny bit of pepper pepper an roast covered in an oven. Each bird is different of course, some younger ones will cook in an hour and a half and some older one (my wife calls them rubber duckies) are tougher and take over two hours.
I don't find ducks "gamey" but if you rupture an instestine cleaning it or if it is gut shot then that flavour gets into the meat then that might be defined as gamey. I make sure I get all gut sout including the lings in that case and rinse thoroughly with apple cider vinegar and then fresh water.
Widgeons are tasty like that too.
Pintails on the other hand, on the coast at least half a kind of mussely, slightly fishy flavour. Some soaking and marinading might work for you. I've never tried it.
We cook pintails by cutting the bird in half and cook it in a Thai curry-coconut milk sauce or alternatively, slow-cook it in a Chinese red sauce, which is basically five spice mix with an emphasis on star anise. You can add extra star anise.
Postscript April 8: Had a widgeon done in method one last night and it was choice!