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Manx Salt Duck

Manx Salt Duck is a traditional Manx recipe (from the Isle of Man) for a classic dish of boiled salt duck that used to be a staple on the island. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Manx version of: Manx Salt Duck.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

90 minutes

Total Time:

110 minutes

Additional Time:

(+over-night salting)

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : British RecipesManx Recipes

Towards the end of the seventeenth century, William Sacheverell remarked on the variety of meat and poultry on the Isle of Man, listing duck as being commonplace and the same price as a hen... not that it was cheap, at thruppence each. So not something that the common man would buy at market. However, it's likely that most people would have a few geese and hens to lay eggs. So goose was not a rarity. Of course, if you had more than one goose then you would need a way of preserving and salting was the commonest form of preservation (smoking didn't really come to the island until the late 19th century). So, if you have a salted duck, you need to cook it. Before ranges became commonplace that would mean boiling over an open fire.

Salt duck is not so common anymore, so you need to begin here by salting the duck (this will produce an effect that is much lest salty than the original 18th century version).

Ingredients:

1 duck
plenty of coarse sea salt

Method:

Pack coarse sea salt both inside and outside of the duck, lay on a bed of salt, pack more salt over the outside then set aside to cure in the salt for 24 hours before cooking.

When ready to cook, remove all the excess salt, then brush all the salt away from the inside and outside. Make sure you rinse out any hard to reach bits of salt.

Place the cleaned duck in a pan (a cast iron pot is ideal) add in just enough water to barely cover the duck then bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for between 60 and 90 minutes, until the duck is cooked through.

Remove the duck from the pot and allow all the excess water to drain away. Cover with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Serve with boiled new potatoes, fresh greens and your choice of traditional sauce (bread, onion, bretonne etc.)