Hunters tend to overlook it…but we
shouldn’t! Duck and goose hearts are a firm, great tasting protein. Fry them
like breast meat, bread them to eat with dipping sauce, or try marinating and
grilling. They can be smoked or canned, and also freeze extremely well.
If preparing waterfowl hearts is
completely new to you, a simple brine and grill is the way to go. The brine
removes blood, adds flavour, and can be altered with a variety of aromatics.
Author:
Brad Fenson
Ingredients
8 to 24 waterfowl hearts, cleaned and deveined
1 liter cold water
¼ cup coarse salt
¼ cup brown sugar
seasonings or flavours of your choice
(chipotle, cajun or creole seasonings; or try crushed garlic, peppercorns, or
lemon)
Directions
Mix ingredients in an airtight
container or bag and add hearts. Leave the hearts to brine for 8 to 24 hours.
Remove hearts from the brine and rinse
well with fresh water. Pat hearts dry with a paper towel and thread onto bamboo
skewers that have been pre-soaked in cold water for one hour.
Barbecue heart skewers over medium heat
until nicely browned on all sides. Cook to medium or medium-well for best
consistency and flavour. If you like, lightly brush the hearts with your
preferred sauce.
Tip: Try smoking the hearts before
grilling. This is a wonderful way to add a hint of smoke before turning up the
temperature to finish your tasty morsels.
