Eiders fit for jerky?

Dave Diefenderfer

Dave Diefenderfer

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Reading the thread about speaking to reporters, reminded me of a funny experience...

John Bourbon, Cheech Kehoe and myself hunted with Bill Wasson some years ago... we had a great hunt and shot some beautiful eiders. I brought mine home to have a pair mounted and to make some jerky. My nextdoor neighbor is a very good taxidermist, so he helped select the nicest pair. The rest I breasted, and soaked in pineapple juice for a couple days. I then used my tried and true jerky marinade recipe, which I have used on puddle ducks, geese, and venison many times...

My children will eat jerky faster than candy...

When the jerky was done, it did not taste all that good. There was a obvious pineapple juice flavor, and something fishy. It was most noticable when you first opened the zip-loc bag.... and there was an after taste. I ate some, as did my daughter.... but it was my son, who everytime he went to the bag, he would say "dad, this is not all that good".... but damn if he did not eat every crumb.

We still talk about it everytime we make jerky (a Thanksgiving week tradition in our house, when the kids are home)... makes me smile every time.
 
Although I live in Maine, I don't chase eiders. I don't have the boat for it. But a lot of friends do.

Treated properly, it can be quite good in spiced stews like hassenpfeffer, eider burgundy, chili, especially if some alcohol or vinegar is added during the cooking. Makes good sausage, too.
 
I make jerky with lawn darts. Tastes a little stronger, but the kids eat too.
 

Dave,

I shot and killed my one and only eider (so far) two years ago. First, I was amazed at their digestive tract...I'm a biology teacher. It was full of crabs and crab parts from one end to the back end. Secondly, I used the eider meat in chili along with several other birds we killed along the shore that were not puddlers. The chili is amazing and draws a quick crowd.

Knowing I can make chili out of most any bird, I rarely pass on the chance to kill sea ducks.

I wish I'd known you were in NY earlier than I did. I'd have driven the sail, mast, and boom right to you. Still arranging transport for it.
 
I have hunted eider and no longer but when I did we always smoked them and they were as good as smoked venison. That sounds like something the most interesting man in the world would say from the beer commercials.
 
I hunted Eider in Nantucket Sound, MA with Keith Mueller several years ago. After the hunt, Keith stir fried some of the Eider for us and it was outstanding. I brought several home with me, chunked up the breast meat and stir fried it....great. It was the best duck I've ever eaten. We made entire meals of nothing but stir fried Eider.
Lou
 
I don't think you can ever get the ducky taste out of them
you just have to find something that compliments the flavor.

on a smoker /cooker works great. also green olives with some blue cheese. have stir fried also with great results
 
Like most sea ducks, the meat is BEST eaten the day the birds are brought home-Breast, de-fat, slice and grill medium rare-
Eons ago, i did brant jerky--If you remember the smell of hartx mountain turtle food, raise your hand.
Needless to say, it went to the trash, and i swear that can was gagging!
 
I've only ever gotten one eider, but we do cook lots of the other sea ducks and divers. This season I've taken a friend's advice and have been removing all of the fat and then soaking the meat in saltwater for a few days immediately after I breast them out. 1/4 cup of salt to a half a pot full of water. Rinse off the meat and replace the saltwater once a day. After soaking for 3 or 4 days the meat can be prepared however you like or it can be frozen for later use. This seems to be working well as all of the broadbill, scoter, and oldsquaw we've cooked have been good, with very little or no "ducky" odor while cooking as well. They do come out a little salty, so you may be able to forgo the salt in your recipes.

By far the strongest tasting waterfowl I've cooked are the brant we get on Long Island. I've got some of them soaking right now and so far it looks like the saltwater is doing it's job. When I changed the water yesterday and rinsed off the meat it had almost no odor. The brant breasts are a little larger than our divers so I sliced them in half lengthwise so that they are only half as thick. I plan to make a pot of chili with these brant.

We've often discussed how that in the past people enjoyed the stronger tasting species of fowl and fish. Perhaps it was all the salt they used for preservation that made these meats tasty.
 
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Just wanted to let you know that the brant chili came out GREAT! Still got another package of brant breasts in the freezer, I'll have to make another pot soon.
 
John, last time i made brant chili, the day it was served, folks thought it was quite good. The key here, is NOT to have leftovers. Let me know if you notice something strange the next time you reheat.
 
George,
I reheated some of the leftovers in the microwave and ate them for lunch today. Still tasty.

Have you tried soaking the meat in saltwater? I was skeptical when I first heard it. But after trying it this season I can say that it really works.
 
John i was taught the same thing. we would soak,grouse rabbit & duck. I guess the salt draws some of the game taste.
 
I must be slumming I eat seaducs They eat mussles and clams



Phil
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Phil, you must be, I ate Eider once, I almost threw up in my mouth. FYI I eat mussels and clams so I guess you are what you eat doesnt pertain here....lol
 
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