Scott Leysath: Saving the Best for Last

It’s been an honor to have filled this space in Ducks Unlimited for the better part of the past 17 years. The world of wild game cooking experienced remarkable growth during that time. Mine has never been a traditional career path, and if someone had told me years ago that I would become a professional wild game chef who hosts television shows and writes cookbooks and magazine columns, I wouldn’t have believed it. Special thanks to all the DU magazine staff who have worked with me over the years and to anyone who took the time to read my words and give the recipes a try. I look forward to reading contributions from the lucky chefs who will fill this spot in the future.

For my final column, I was asked to choose a recipe that exemplifies some of my favorite techniques for preparing ducks at home. This South African–inspired dish is simple and delicious, and the grilled duck is the star. No sauces, stuffings, or potent marinades. Just duck.

Grilled Duck Breasts with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Rosemary

Serves 4

While shooting TV shows in South Africa several years ago, I had some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. Kudu, gemsbok, springbok, and zebra were all cooked pretty much the same way. The locals soaked the trimmed meats in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper for 24 hours. When it was dinnertime, they grilled the meat to a perfect medium rare over smoky, white-hot coals. I’ve since followed the same method of preparation with waterfowl and other game. I usually add fresh rosemary since I have a hillside full of it at home.

Because the marinade is primarily olive oil, I use a better-quality extra-virgin variety that adds both fat and flavor. The garlic is fresh and the salt and pepper are both freshly ground. If you happen to leave the fillets in the marinade for an extra day or two, your duck will still taste like duck, unlike the result when you use a more potent marinade designed to mask the flavor of wild game.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 large duck breast fillets, preferably with skin on
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 to 10 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground salt (or any coarse salt)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

Preparation

1. Place duck breast fillets in a container or resealable plastic bag. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Remove duck from the marinade and drain for several minutes. Discard marinade. Place fillets on a hot grill, skin-side down, until the skin is crisp and medium brown. Flip the meat over and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes until medium rare. Cook slightly longer if desired.

Farewell to The Sporting Chef

During Scott Leysath’s long tenure as DU’s Cooking columnist and resident culinary expert, he wrote more than 100 columns and many feature articles for this magazine. He also produced numerous instructional videos for DU TV and the DU website. Along the way, he helped teach an entire generation of waterfowlers how to prepare delicious meals with the birds they harvested. While the Sporting Chef has decided to hang up his apron and hand over the reins to new contributors in this column, you can enjoy highlights from his impressive body of work at ducks.org/Leysath.