Prep Time: 3–3½ Hours
Yields: 6 Servings

From the moment I tasted this teal recipe, I knew I had to have it, but I had to wait until hunting season was over for my friend Chip Veillon of White Castle, La., to write it out for me. Hunters are a focused bunch! Chip uses Guidry’s Creole Seasoning^®, a pre-chopped mixture of seasoning vegetables, but if you can’t find it, substitute 1 cup of onions, 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup bell peppers, and 1/4 cup garlic. Chip also suggests a feeding syringe for getting the seasoning mixture into the breast (check at medical or farm supply stores). A pastry bag would work in a pinch, though.

Ingredients:
12 teal ducks, dressed
1 (16-ounce) container Guidry’s Creole Seasoning^® (onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic)
1/2 cup green onion sausage or ground pork
Creole seasoning to taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup red wine
3–4 cups chicken stock

Method:
In a food processor or blender, purée the seasoning blend. Add sausage or ground pork and continue to blend. Add Creole seasoning to taste. The mixture should be a smooth paste, thin enough to pass through a large syringe, but not liquid. Set aside. Season teal inside and out with Creole seasoning. Starting from the back, run a sharp knife along each side of the sternum, being careful not to break the skin on the front of the breast. Fill the syringe with puréed mixture and inject it into each side of the breast until it “puffs up.” In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat then place teal, breast-side up, in the pan. Brown 7–8 minutes then rotate and brown breast an additional 7–8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and allow it to steam 6–8 minutes. Add enough chicken stock to cover birds three-quarters of the way. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to simmer. Cook 2–3 hours or until backbones start to become defined. Add water or chicken stock as necessary to keep the pot from drying out. Remove from heat and serve hot with pan juices.