Game Dishes: Duck Hash

My husband and I are hunters, and we both love to hunt just about anything. However, we each have different passions within the hunting realm, which makes for a nice selection of wild game in our freezer. I am passionate about big game hunting, and he is passionate about waterfowl hunting. This really works for us in the state we live in because there is not a ton of overlap in the two seasons. I guess you could say we take turns.

When duck season is in full swing here in North Carolina, we end up eating a lot of duck. Typically, we will put a little cream cheese in the duck breasts, wrap them in bacon, douse them in barbecue sauce and cook them up for supper. But for this recipe, I wanted to try something different. I wanted duck for breakfast, and that is how my duck hash recipe was born. I love a hearty and savory breakfast, that covers as many food groups as possible and this one hit the spot.

If you want to achieve the maximum flavor, you should cook this from start to finish in the same skillet. Cooking each component in the same skillet or pot without cleaning it out in between ingredients (minus a little deglazing action here and there), and then combining them all back into that dish at the end allows you to build layer upon layer of flavor into the dish.

The skillet should be a cast iron. The amount of ingredients in this is dependent upon two things: how many you are feeding, and how big your skillet is. I have cooked this up in a small skillet for two, and I’ve also cooked it in a large skillet for four. For the sake of this article, these measurements should feed four people.

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 duck breasts
• 8 slices of bacon
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 white or russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 eggs
• 1 small yellow onion, diced into large pieces
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Garlic powder

Start by cooking up your bacon in the skillet. While the bacon is cooking, cut the duck breast into bite-size pieces (think steak tips or fajita-style meat), and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub seasonings into the duck meat.

When the bacon is done, remove it from the skillet and place to the side– if you're prone to snacking, help your future self by cooking a few extra strips of bacon.

Add in your onion and cook, removing it from the skillet when it is translucent and fragrant.

Now, place your duck breast into the skillet. It is important that the skillet is hot, so that you can achieve a good sear on the meat. Cook the duck for about 1-2 minutes on each side and remove from the skillet.

At this point, you may have to add in a little olive oil, depending on how much bacon grease is left in your skillet. Add a few drops of water to your pan, and scrape all the goodness off the bottom as it bubbles up, then add in your potatoes.

Season with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder and then toss and stir the potatoes around in your skillet to really get all of those flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan worked into the potatoes.

Add in the bacon and onions and give it a good mix, cover, and lower the heat.

Preheat your oven to 450, and cook the potatoes like this about 15 minutes or until they are softened, stirring every few minutes to keep them from sticking too much to the bottom of the skillet.

While hash is still hot, lay strips of duck on top, and then crack four eggs on top of the dish. Cover immediately and place in oven.

Cook eggs to desired doneness, then remove from oven (I sometimes turn on the broiler for a couple minutes to speed the eggs up) and enjoy. Warning, if you make this dish for someone, they will want it again and again and again! Happy hunting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynsey Davis was born and raised in West Tennessee, where she spent most of her time on horseback. Her love of guns and hunting were sparked after marrying her long-time friend and high school sweetheart in 2006. Davis splits her time between shooting matches, hunting, and chasing after two rambunctious little boys. She is passionate about cooking and loves to incorporate wild game into her recipes. Davis is a contributor to North Carolina Bow Hunter Magazine. And, on top of all that- she's a full-time student, finishing up a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science.

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