Duck Breast with Orange Marmalade and Bacon

Previously published Nov. 20, 2021.

As we pulled the one duck we shot into the boat, I caught a sadness in my dad’s blue eyes as he said “hunting in the marsh isn’t the same as hunting in the swamp Nicole Ann.” The challenge with hunting in the marsh is there are no trees. Without trees, it’s hard to gauge the distance between you and the duck which means the difference of injuring a bird versus killing one. You aim to kill and never take a shot you aren’t 100% sure will do so.

The somber feeling was deeper than the lack of birds in the boat. The marsh symbolized an era bygone.

Increased water impoundments and food planting in the north combined with the lack of cold fronts, disrupted the migratory cycle of the birds which meant fewer ducks found themselves finding solace in the swamp. The ducks that did go south found the swamps filled with Salvinia, an invasive plant that choked out their favorite food, duck weed which left them finding food in the marsh.

Whether it’s a marsh duck or a swamp duck, it needs to be plucked. I assure you it is not nearly as glamourous as in the books. But I am a firm believer you are missing out if you haven’t done so. Besides there is something oddly satisfying to work for your food.

I’ve had plenty of duck in my adult life, but none of them measured up to camp duck of my youth. It’s smoky, earthy, and fresh and has plenty of texture contrast. You’ll notice this recipe is quite different from my normal ones. It lacks a lot of detail. Ingredient amounts don’t matter much. It’s camp food and would do it a disservice if we go rigid. It will often vary slightly, but will be equally as delicious.

While I learned this recipe from my dad, he learned it from his friend, Warren Coco. They spent many winter days and nights together hunting together in the swamp.

Oh and PS if you’re interested in duck hunting stories, you can check out Duck Season Somewhere podcast. I recommend eating some pancakes and sausage while listening.

Ingredients
Duck Breast
Tobasco sauce
Slap Ya Mama (Cajun seasoning)
1 large onion
2 medium bell pepper
1.5 pound of thin sliced bacon
orange marmalade

Directions
Cut the breast into the size of your choosing. If you’re eating it as a main, cut the pieces larger. If it’s an app, cut them into “two bite” size.

Very lightly coat the breasts with Tobasco and sprinkle it with Slap Ya Mama.

Cut the ends off the onion and cut it into wedges about the size of the duck pieces.

Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and cut it a little smaller than the duck pieces.

Now we build. I find it easier to build it onto the toothpick rather than building then spearing. If you spear last, everything goes slip sliding!

Hold the toothpick vertically against a chopping board. Slide an onion piece almost to the bottom of the tooth pick followed by bell pepper and the duck. Wrap a piece of bacon around it until it slightly overlaps. It is best if the tooth pick pierces the meat and not fat. You want the bacon to be a little loose to allow for shrinkage during cooking.

Baste the assembled food with orange marmalade. Go heavy here! They taste best if you grill them on a charcoal grill. If not, put them under a broiler on high. Broil for about 5 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven (you don’t need to remove them on a grill) and baste them again. Broil about another 5 minutes. The bacon should begin to crisp and the duck is just done. My dad says (and I agree!), “Don’t over cook!”

Notes
Thick cut bacon doesn’t work so well because you get too much bacon. If your pieces of bacon are too wide, use kitchen shears and cut them so you have two long strips.

If you use a grill or broil them, soak the toothpicks in water before assembling the duck combination onto them. It reduces the potential the toothpicks will catch on fire.