Grilled Duck & Goose Hearts

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.

Ingredients:

  • 8 to 24 waterfowl hearts, cleaned and deveined
  • 1 litre 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:

  1. Mix ingredients in an airtight container or bag and add hearts. Leave the hearts to brine for 8 to 24 hours.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.