Old Timber Outdoors
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Wild duck breast fillets

Wild Duck Breast Quesadillas with Poblano and Jack Cheese

Thin-sliced duck breast seared with cumin and chili, chopped, and folded into crisp flour tortillas with charred poblano, onion and melted Jack.

Serves
4
Hands-on
40 min
Total
1 hr 10 min
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop or campfire · Lunch

Ingredients

  • 1 lbWild duck breast fillets, skinless, to be sliced ¼ inch thick across the grain
  • 1Onions, small, thinly sliced
  • 1Lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 tspSalt
  • ¼ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 8 flour tortillas (8 inch)
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • ½ cup sour cream, to serve

You'll need

  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Stovetop or Campfire with grate or coals

Contains

Gluten, Dairy. Tortillas vary; some contain soy or milk. Check the label.

Method

  1. For even ¼-inch slices, firm the breasts in the freezer 20 to 30 minutes before slicing them across the grain. Toss the duck slices with the salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and let them sit while you cook the vegetables.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat (or over hot coals). Cook the poblano and onion until soft and charred at the edges, about 5 minutes. Set them aside.
  3. Turn the heat to high, add the remaining oil, and let it shimmer. Add half the duck in one layer with space between the slices and sear without moving 1 to 1½ minutes, until browned underneath. Turn and cook 1 minute more, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest slice. Move it to a board and repeat with the rest; crowding the pan steams thin slices gray.
  4. Chop the duck into small bite-size pieces and squeeze one lime wedge over it.
  5. Wipe out the skillet and lower the heat to medium (or move it to cooler coals). Lay a tortilla in the dry pan and top it with ¼ cup of the cheese, a quarter of the duck and vegetables, another ¼ cup of cheese and a second tortilla.
  6. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and the cheese melts. Repeat with the rest.
  7. Cut into wedges and serve with the sour cream and the remaining lime wedges.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Gray, chewy duck
The pan was crowded or not hot enough, so the slices stewed. Sear in two batches over high heat, and take them off as soon as they reach 165°F; thin slices get there in about 2 minutes.
Cheese not melting before the tortilla browns
Lower the heat and cover the pan for a minute.
Chewy bites
Slice the breast thin across the grain before cooking, and chop it small after.
Quesadilla falling apart when flipped
Cheese on both sides of the filling glues it together; flip with a wide spatula.

Leftovers. Keep the raw duck in a cooler or refrigerator at 40°F or below. Serve right away; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.