"As I cleaned my first pintail last year, I noticed none of the strong odor that even puddle ducks take on in saltwater. There was also an abundance of pin feathers on its breast and sides, which indicated it was a young bird. As a result, I cooked it the way I would a succulent, non-gamy bird such as a blue grouse or quail. I basted it lightly in butter, seasoned it with salt and pepper and put it into a large cast iron Dutch oven with a little water and white wine. I cooked it on the top of the stove over a slow simmer. It wasn't long before a savory aroma filled the kitchen.
When I put the bird on a platter an 1 1/2 hours later, it was so tender it nearly fell apart. I knew right away that it would taste great, and it did. It was the best duck I've eaten in several years.
Yet again, I was reminded why the Northern pintail is widely regarded by many Pacific Northwest waterfowlers as perhaps the most-prized duck of all. In addition to its superb qualities as table fare, it is a wild flier that swirls and tumbles in the air, presenting tough, challenging targets. It is also a quick study, becoming wary of decoys and hunters' tricks rapidly. Not least of all, the pintail is among the most handsome of all waterfowl."
This morning, at the Ponds, I photographed a pair of Pintails. Unfortunately I was not able to get both of them with their heads out of the water at the same time! As a confirmed vegetarian, for going on forty years, the thought of killing and eating ducks makes me sick. What do you experience when you look at my picture and then read the above?
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