Slow Cooked Duck Stew

I posted my menu plan for the week and I seemed to get some interest in my duck stew recipe.

Engineer's boss had given us several ducks from his hunting endeavors so with that being said, if you procure your duck from the grocery store, skip ahead, but if you have a generous hunter around, please take care to pick out as many BBs as possible before you cook it.  In fact, while you eat the stew, you may want to slightly smash the meat before putting it in your mouth just in case.  Your teeth will thank you.

Here is my super simple and very tasty method for making hearty slow cooked duck stew.  You can either use a crock pot on low or a Dutch oven in the oven at 215F all day.

Your house will smell delicious while this is stewing away.

Oh, and by the way, don't get rid of the bones.  Roast them and chuck them in a pot or crock pot with leftover veggies and make stock for the next time you make duck stew.

Slow Cooked Duck Stew

1 lb. Duck meat, cubed
1/4c. Flour
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
3-4 Tbs. Bacon drippings
1 lrg. Onion, chopped
1/2c-3/4c. Dry Marsala
4 Cloves of garlic (I like mine whole to be mushed up later in the bowl)
3 Sprigs of rosemary, chopped
2 Bay leaves
32oz. Stock (I used beef but any stock would do)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Take the duck meat from the bone making sure to remove any BBs.  Cube it and set aside.
Melt bacon drippings over medium heat in a Dutch oven or skillet if you will be transferring to a crock pot.
Mix flour, salt, & pepper in a bowl.  Put meat in the flour mixture to coat.
Throw onions and flour coated duck pieces in the bacon fat. and brown for a few minutes.
Once the onions and duck have soaked up a good portion of the drippings, pour in the Marsala and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
If transferring to a crock pot, do so now, if not, add garlic, rosemary, bay, stock, salt, & pepper.
Cook on low all day.
Enjoy this velvety stew with a side salad and crusty bread.

*I would have added sliced carrots to this stew with the onions but someone (you know who you are) ate all the carrots and I didn't realize it until I was making the stew.  So feel free to add carrots and/or potatoes to the stew when you make it.

This is part of Full Plate Thursday.