Is that too much already? I needed to get it out of my system.

This is my very first duck dish, you guys. First time I’ve made it and possibly first time I’ve eaten it. We got some wild duck breasts from a friend (thanks, Joe!) and they sat in my freezer for awhile.. just waiting until I was brave enough to cook them. And then they sat in the fridge thawing for awhile.. as I tried to decide what in the world to do with them. #firstworldproblems

Which brings us to skewers. When you don’t know what to do with something, just put it on a stick. (New life motto in progress).

Any brainiac would tell you to put these on the grill, but I am a lazy person (we have a charcoal grill, haha) so I did them in the oven along with some squash that didn’t make the photo. While they were quickly cooking, I made the apricot dipping sauce on the stove. The original plan was actually to put halved apricots on the skewers like I saw in this beautiful post, but I waited too long and the apricots got a bit soft, so I went with sauce instead. Just a little change of plans.

Honestly, I was a little nervous about how the duck would turn out. The breasts had the fat removed, so all of the typical duck cooking advice did not apply and I was afraid it would be dry and bland. The meat ended up being quite flavorful- even the kids were eating off sticks like little cave people. It was kind of a giant mess, but very entertaining at the time. I think next time I would actually baste the skewers with the sauce when they come out of the oven to help the duck retain some moisture- so definitely try that out the next time you’re skewering some duck. It won’t cut down on the mess, but I think it would take the dish up a notch.

These random freezer-clean-out meals have been stretching my culinary comfort zone. It’s been fun, but kind of exhausting mentally. I’m ready to start fresh.

Wild Duck Skewers with Apricot Dipping Sauce

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 lb duck breasts, trimmed
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (make sure there is no added sugar for GAPS)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 6 apricots, pitted and chopped
• juice of ½ orange
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (consider removing this or making homemade mustard for true GAPS or paleo)
• chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. A few hours (or up to a day) before you’re ready to cook, marinate the duck in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. Soak your wooden skewers in water, if using.
2. Prepare your grill or preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
3. Prepare the sauce- heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the onion until it begins to soften. Add the apricots and cook until they begin to break down. Add the orange juice, honey, mustard and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking as the duck cooks. Puree with a stick blender if you like a smoother sauce.
4. Cut the duck breasts into small chunks and place on skewers. Grill for just a few minutes on each side or bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes per side. Try not to overcook the duck- it’s okay for it to be pink. Baste with the sauce if you like and serve immediately with the chopped parsley.

#version#

I’d like to introduce you to your new favorite drink of Summer 2013: the Sweet Sunset Cooler.

I am all about this drink! It really surprised me. I typically don’t buy apricots or nectarines (I have a love/forget-to-love relationship with stone fruit), but I picked some up on a whim and I am glad I did. I don’t know what my deal is with stone fruit.. I always forget how good it is.

Here’s what’s inside the glass: oranges, pineapple, apricots and nectarine. If you want to keep it simple, just add a little ice and water. If you want to step it up a bit, add some ginger ale or seltzer. If you’ve had a long day or you want a fun party drink, add some rum or vodka.

I used my juicer for this, but you can still make it if you don’t have a juicer. You can run the fruit through a blender and then press it through a strainer to remove all of the juices. You could also buy pre-packaged juices, though I’m not sure you can readily find apricot and nectarine juice at your local grocery store. (If you can, lucky you!)

Take advantage of the fresh summer produce and make these coolers for yourself and someone you love this season. Right now, I’m imagining packing them up in Mason jars for a sunset picnic, or just escaping to the backyard for a few sips with my mister. Whenever or wherever, this is going to be my summer go-to drink. Cheers!

Sweet Sunset Cooler

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Drink

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 oranges, peeled
• ¼ pineapple, tough skin removed
• 1 nectarine or peach, pitted
• 2 apricots, pitted
• 1 shot vodka or rum (optional)
• ginger ale, club soda, seltzer water or water

Instructions

1. Run oranges, pineapple, nectarine and apricots through a juicer. (If you don’t have a juicer, you can blend the fruit and then strain it to get the juice). Pour the juice into two tall glasses with ice.
2. For an alcoholic drink, add a shot of vodka or rum. Then top the juice (and alcohol, if using) with ginger ale, club soda, seltzer water or water to fill the glass. Give it a quick stir and enjoy.

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