Duck and goose lend themselves to soups and stews, and a dark duck stock is a foundation in many of the dishes I make every week. The recipes that follow range from fundamentals, like broth and demi-glace, to light soups made with duck breast, all the way to extremely rich and hearty pasta sauces made with giblets and duck legs.
In general, you will want to use duck legs, wings and giblets like hearts and gizzards to make your soups and stews. I find that breast meat is best served medium-rare, so you can add some thin slices of breast meat at the end of cooking, like in the Vietnamese and Nordic goose soup recipes. Long-cooked breast meat gets chalky and dry.
Duck Stock
A hearty, dark duck or goose broth that can be drunk on its own or used as a base for other soups.
Smoked Duck Soup
This is what you make with leftovers from a smoked duck or goose (or smoked turkey or pheasant, for that matter). Easy to make and richly flavored.
German Riebele Dumplings
A German style clear soup with little pasta-like dumplings in it. Surprisingly refined for something that looks so simple. It’s best done with the carcasses of smoked ducks or geese.
Goose Soup, Nordic Style
A light goose soup made in the style of Vietnamese pho, only with cold-weather ingredients.
Concentrated Duck or Goose Stock
It takes a while to make, but this stuff is pure waterfowl gold. If you have this concentrated stock on hand, you will always be happy.
Goose Stew with Barley and Mushrooms
A thick, winter stew inspired by Russia.
Wild Duck Pho
A wild duck rendition of the classic Vietnamese soup. You might even call it, “phuk.”