Photo courtesy of Jesse Morris / Killer Chefs
Smoked Teal with Miso, Mushrooms, Garlic and Truffle
by Jesse Morris
SMOKED TEAL
2 pieces of duck breast
Black pepper
1 king oyster mushroom, diced
Truffle salt
1 slice good bread (like brioche)
Season two cleaned and dried teal breasts heavily with black pepper. Smoke at 220 degrees until the duck reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees.
On medium-high heat, sauté diced mushrooms until they have a nice color. Strain out of the pan; add duck breast and cook for two minutes, adding a tablespoon of the miso garlic paste to coat at the end. Set aside to rest.
Toast a slice of bread with butter until golden brown. Use a round cookie cutter to make a circle, then top it with the diced teal-and-mushroom mixture and season with truffle salt. I garnish it with onion flowers and nasturtium flower petals.
MISO GARLIC BUTTER
10 cloves peeled garlic
Vegetable oil
1 cup blonde miso
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 10 cloves of peeled garlic and cover with vegetable oil. Cook on low heat until garlic is soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool. Save oil for vinaigrettes or other projects.
In a mixing bowl, add miso, soy sauce and all 10 cloves of garlic. Mix well. Add one stick of room-temperature butter and fold together. Also good as a vinaigrette base. Add a few pinches of chili flake for spice (optional).
JESSE'S TEAL TIPS
1. KEEP COOL. Usually it’s very warm during teal season; birds can spoil while still in the field. Put the birds in a good cooler as you shoot them.
2. DON'T WASTE Teal are small and easy to pluck, so take your time and enjoy the entire bird, not just the breast.
3. TEAL HAVE A MILD GAME FLAVOR, so don’t overpower the bird with seasoning.
4. PRACTICE. Get some target practice in before season starts. They don’t call them rockets for nothing.
Jesse Morris is a hunter/chef/guide who lives in Richardson with his wife and two daughters. “Every now and then I come up with a dish on the fly that, in its simplicity, also seems so complex. I tend to cook what I have on hand at the moment, adding this, adding that. I feel like my best dishes come from that style of cooking, a feral art.” Find more recipes online at www.killerchefs.com and @killerchefs on Instagram.
Return to Story
» Like this story? If you enjoy reading articles like this, subscribe to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.
