Instructions: The river and pond ducks are the mallard, black or dusty, gadwall or gray, baldpate or widgeon, green-winged and blue-winged teal, shoveler, pintail, and wood. The sea and bay ducks are the redhead, canvasback, greater scaup or broadbill, lesser scaup or creek broadbill, ring-necked, golden-eye or whistler, Barrows golden-eye, bufflehead or butterball, old-squaw or southerly, harlequin, American eider, American scoter or black coot, white-winged coot, surf scoter, and ruddy.

Mallards are the choice of most duck fans, and mallard (raised for market) is frequently the duck served in restaurants. Unless specified otherwise, assume mallard or a comparable duck in the recipes of this collection. Puddler ducks - mallards, blacks, shovelers, woodies, and teals - are best for roasting. Diving ducks such as redheads, canvasbacks, and scaup are stronger flavored and are usually preferred in dishes calling for heavier seasoning.

Some waterfowl should always be skinned. These include old-squaw, mergansers, coot, and mud hens. These are fish eaters and it can easily be proven at the table if you dont skin them.

Small Duck Timetable
Smaller ducks can be roasted with skin on and require a shorter cooking time. Rub with softened butter, and season. Put a cut-up apple in the cavity after salting and peppering if desired. Roast unskinned in a 400 degree oven.

Teal: 7 1/2 minutes for rare, 10 for medium Ruddy: 9 minutes for rare, 12 for medium Butterball: 9 minutes for rare, 12 for medium

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