Editor’s note: The following is part of a series featuring recipes with ingredients harvested from public lands.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has compiled its favorite recipes of dishes that "include ingredients you can hunt, fish, or forage on public lands," and has given GPM permission to reprint their creations here. Before you fire up your campfire or woodstove, however, DOI reminds us:
Hunting and fishing are outdoor activities with tasty results. Before you go after game or cast your line, check out our hunting and fishing guides so that you can make sure you’re following the rules, have the federal and state licenses you need and are keeping safe.
On many public lands, gathering natural, renewable products — such as fruits, berries, nuts or sea shells — is permitted, subject to certain conditions set by each location or state office. Be sure to check nps.gov, fws.gov, blm.gov or the websites of specific parks and national wildlife refuges for the most up-to-date information on availabilities and quantity limits before going to pick plants. Always make sure to properly identify plants before picking them, as some can be hazardous.
Photo courtesy of Hallie Rasmussen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee
Duck Bites
Mixing sweet and savory is a recipe for success, and these duck bites do it perfectly. A sweet, juicy piece of pineapple perfectly complements the duck, and wrapping it all up in a piece of crispy bacon ties together the flavors into one perfect bite. There’s outstanding duck hunting at public lands across the country, so you can try out this mouthwatering-dish with duck from Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in Montana, Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina or Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. These delicious bites are the creation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee Hallie Rasmussen.
Ingredients:
Duck breast
12 oz container of teriyaki marinade
20 oz can of pineapple chunks
1 – 2 packages of bacon (depending on how much duck you have)
Shish kabob skewers — toothpicks also work but the skewers are easier to flip on the grill
Directions:
Quarter your duck into bite-sized pieces and let soak in marinade — preferably 24 hours if you have time.
Drain pineapple and place pieces into a bowl.
Wrap a piece of pineapple and a duck bite with a piece of bacon and place onto skewer. Repeat until all your duck meat is wrapped and skewered.
Grill skewers on low/medium heat until the bacon is cooked.
Remove from skewers and enjoy!
Lead Photo Credit: Shutterstock