Duck at a wedding!

HamsterFace

Hi there,

We're beginning to pick our menu and are hoping for a little advice.

One of the options is a confit of duck leg which we both love but are wondering could that really be done well and served well times a hundred?

Our venu does have a good rep but it just sounds as something which would be hard to do, practically speaking.

Other options I like both come with a surcharge, am not mad on chicken or roast beef...

Appreciate any opinions or experiences

Duvetdays

It's your wedding you can have what you want but personally it wouldn't be my choice I hate brown/leg meat. Are you having a second option?

Expect some moaning and muttering as we Irish are a generation of turkey & ham eaters at weddings.

Teyla Emmagan

I would be delighted NOT to see turkey and ham on the menu. Beef and salmon maybe, but who eats turkey and ham at weddings? Anyway.

As far as I know confit of duck is cooked in advance and basically just reheated on the day. And that sounds like something that your venue should be able to handle easily. They hardly have it on the menu as an option if they can't present it to a standard they're happy with OP. Especially if they have a 'good' reputation as a venue. Have you been for the tasting yet?

I think it'd be a lovely surprise on a wedding menu TBH, they can be terribly lacking in originality.

dazed+confused

What a let down, I was picturing one walking down the aisle....

Bored_lad

Confit duck leg is quite easy to be cooked in large numbers and as the other poster has said it would be cooked in advance and heated.

Faith

This will be a divisive issue, I'll warn you now!

Personally, I think that an interesting menu is great! Our menu included duck and foie gras. I'm sure lots of people wouldn't have chosen it from a menu if they'd had the choice, but we got so many compliments on the food.

The worst kind of wedding menu I could imagine would be a roast beef/salmon/turkey & ham menu. I'd be delighted to see duck confit!

AndersLimpar

dazed+confused wrote: »

What a let down, I was picturing one walking down the aisle....

I presumed the OP had a pet duck and wanted advice on whether to invite them or not.

Major anti climax

I would love duck confit on a wedding menu. Anything outside the norm would be great.

Rackstar

I also thought you had a pet duck and were wondering if you could bring it to the reception.

Dubl07

Way better choice for wedding food than dry turkey, hog-roast (NONE of those guys can get the rotisserie to work) or farmed salmon.

meeeeh

I like salmon on the menu just because I love fish. After any kind of fish I would love duck on the menu.

I avoid eating roast beef when out because it tends to be over roasted to a texture of sawdust. And chicken breast is only good enough for stir frys and it's crime in this country how much good chicken meat is neglected because people prefer eating rubber.

Anyway rant off and big thumbs up for duck legs.

harr

As others have said a lot of people might not pick the duck, I would personally but I know a lot of people would be disappointed not to see the usual turkey&ham or beef with the option of fish...
The duck would not be a problem to do for large numbers as mentioned it would be cooked then heated or even come in cooked...
You could just do the duck option for the top table only, if you think it might not be Appreciated by the larger body of guests ..

Keane2baMused

I had confit duck at a main course at a wedding.

It was absolutely beautiful. Go for it!

matrim

I've had it a couple of times at weddings before. Once it was lovely and once only ok. I'd have no problem having it again.

However I do know some people who wouldn't touch duck. But if you have a reasonably "safe" second option you should be fine.

gctest50

.

neris

we had duck for the women and beef/steak for the men at our wedding, guys were complaining that they didnt get duck and women were complaining that their duck was been nicked by their other halfs. you cant win

Malari

neris wrote: »

we had duck for the women and beef/steak for the men at our wedding, guys were complaining that they didnt get duck and women were complaining that their duck was been nicked by their other halfs. you cant win

That's very odd, to split main courses according to gender! First time I've heard of that.

Toots

I'd say go for it! I would be delighted to find duck on the menu at a wedding! Maybe have a word with the hotel and see if they can have a secret alternative also ie if auntie Mabel starts whinging, they'll do her a plate of salmon or something.

HamsterFace

Thanks for all the responses folks, I had a long post which seems to have disappeared. It even contained a Far Side cartoon about a duck to make up for the lack of there being a pet duck.

I just wanted to bounce the idea around so appreciate your replies a lot. We still have the tasting so are selecting what we can have at the tasting, making our final selection after that.

We also have a fish option, and they even said there'd be a silent beef option too so don't think people would be lumped with it.

Thanks a mill

Atomic Pineapple

Malari wrote: »

That's very odd, to split main courses according to gender! First time I've heard of that.

Main course is a new one on me too, you'd want to be brave to do that, I've been to a wedding where the dessert was split by gender and it was a disaster!

Malari

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

Main course is a new one on me too, you'd want to be brave to do that, I've been to a wedding where the dessert was split by gender and it was a disaster!

Yeah, I can imagine!

I'd love duck on a menu, so would my husband. Although we usually choose one option each and swap if decide we'd prefer the other :-)

I'd love to remember what kind of mains the guests chose at my wedding. I should have kept the receipt!

One_Of_Shanks

Are kids allowed at this wedding? And if not, who's going to mind Huey, Dewey, and Louie for the day???

Actually I think I'd love to see duck or anything different on a wedding menu. Anything to get a break from the usual turkey/ham/beef stuff.

But i would agree that some people will probably have a moan about it. Screw them though, it's your wedding! And for every person who moans about it there will probably be 2 or 3 who are delighted about it.

Oh and good luck by the way!

neris

Malari wrote: »

That's very odd, to split main courses according to gender! First time I've heard of that.

some thing different to try was no negative feedback really.

Tasden

Maybe I'm easily offended/ungrateful/a misery guts but I would be a little annoyed if I was given a certain meal based on my gender. And duck instead of steak too!

Malari

neris wrote: »

some thing different to try was no negative feedback really.

No negative feedback? :pac: I thought you said both were complaining!

tayto lover

Ah no !!!
Just imagine a pond full of little playful ducks all splashing merrily around and a load of children feeding them and having fun.
Then imagine going to the same pond the next day and it completely empty because some wedding guests had eaten all of them.

What a sad pond that would be.

aidom

I'm planning on getting Duck confit or Seabass for the choice at my wedding. So far I've had my parents complaining that those wouldn't be to everyone's taste. Despite the fact that my parents themselves are happy with the choices.

In general I think people are happier with something a bit different. I am also pretty certain that there'll be a couple of people complaining but honestly if an adult won't eat fish, duck or a vegetarian option then I think they might be the one with the problem....

There'll be plenty of food overall so I can't see anyone going hungry in the end!

Sam Kade

One_Of_Shanks wrote: »

Are kids allowed at this wedding?

Not many would eat goat meat.

Cakerbaker

I was determined not to have the usual turkey and ham / beef / salmon menu at my wedding so I'd say go for the duck! We didn't have that option but went with lamb and sea bass. The hotel offered a free third option so we went with chicken as a safe option for anyone who didn't like the other 2! My husband to be, my dad and brothers were all shocked at the idea of there being no beef, sure everyone expects beef at a wedding, I was told numerous times but I stuck to my guns. In all fairness, it's not like we were serving lamb jalfrezi. Anyway, we had loads of people raving about the choice and the change from the usual beef or salmon choices. I think anything that's a bit different from the usual but not too off the wall is a good thing at a wedding! I'd love to see duck confit on a wedding menu!

SarahMollie

Malari wrote: »

That's very odd, to split main courses according to gender! First time I've heard of that.

I was at a wedding where they did something similar for desert. Chocolate for the men and a sort of panna cotta for the ladies.... all sorts of swapping happened, and there were a few grumpy faces... wouldnt be a fan of the idea myself.

Malari

aidom wrote: »

I'm planning on getting Duck confit or Seabass for the choice at my wedding. So far I've had my parents complaining that those wouldn't be to everyone's taste. Despite the fact that my parents themselves are happy with the choices.

In general I think people are happier with something a bit different. I am also pretty certain that there'll be a couple of people complaining but honestly if an adult won't eat fish, duck or a vegetarian option then I think they might be the one with the problem....

There'll be plenty of food overall so I can't see anyone going hungry in the end!

That sounds fab! I mean, it's true it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but you are never going to please everyone. People who like bland, plain food are usually the ones catered for as the lowest common denominator, so it would be nice to cater for those who'd be happier with something a bit different.

SarahMollie

Personally, I'd love to see something different at a wedding.

Of the 3 Irish weddings I've been at this year, all three had fillet of beef and seabass. Both of which I like, but zero points for originality. Also, all three venues each managed to ruin the fillet of beef to various degrees by over cooking it, so actually something like confit duck is actually easier to make consistent, and you wont have half of the people wanting it rare and the other half wanting it cooked to a crisp.

Bandana boy

I personally would love to see Duck as a choice at any Meal , but I would warn I was at a graduation ceremony Last Summer , where Duck was the meal option and at our table over half the people had a real problem with it , it is quite a fatty dish and cooked in bulk can be quite greasy.

GingerLily

Confit of duck should have all the fat rendered from it, so shouldn't be too fatty.

Also it definitely suits mass catering as it can be easily made in advance. I've had it at a wedding and it was perfection!

We're thinking of hake and lamb ourselves, rather than salmon and chicken/beef.

HamsterFace

GingerLily wrote:

Confit of duck should have all the fat rendered from it, so shouldn't be too fatty.

Also it definitely suits mass catering as it can be easily made in advance. I've had it at a wedding and it was perfection!

We're thinking of hake and lamb ourselves, rather than salmon and chicken/beef.

The fear would be that the fat wasn't rendered and the skin wasn't crispy! I've had it done badly enough times in restaurants to be wary...

Lamb and hake sounds great! We have a saddle of Lamb option but it comes with a fiver surcharge.

I may as well ask, has anyone had the duck in the Galway Bay Hotel?

woodchuck

SarahMollie wrote: »

I was at a wedding where they did something similar for desert. Chocolate for the men and a sort of panna cotta for the ladies.... all sorts of swapping happened, and there were a few grumpy faces... wouldnt be a fan of the idea myself.

:eek: I would not be a happy camper if I was denied a chocolate option based on my gender (and surely chocolate is more liked by women than men anyway )

OP I never order duck for weird moral reasons, but I'd still eat it if served to me at a wedding. Don't think you'd get many objecting to duck and if the venue has it an option, they must be confident that they can pull it off!

SarahMollie

woodchuck wrote: »

:eek: I would not be a happy camper if I was denied a chocolate option based on my gender (and surely chocolate is more liked by women than men anyway )

I know! Everyone was a but bemused by the fact that the women didnt get the chocolate! I swapped half of mine with my OH anyway so had best of both worlds But overall it was a bit strange.

Danjamin1

We had duck as a third option at our wedding last month & it was the most popular main on the day! The hotel manager advised against it at the time as it isn't normally chosen but he was telling us afterwards that he'll consider recommending it in future!

Story Bud?

What you get to eat being decided by your gender?

I thought I'd heard it all when it came to weddings, clearly I had not.

Thoie

The last few weddings I've been to had lovely food, very high standard of catering, and I now couldn't tell you what the hell I ate. I remember it was lovely, and beautifully presented and "unusual", but not a clue beyond that.

Unless you make people slaughter their own lambs at the table or something, most people won't remember in 2 months time.

Bandana boy

Thoie wrote: »

The last few weddings I've been to had lovely food, very high standard of catering, and I now couldn't tell you what the hell I ate. I remember it was lovely, and beautifully presented and "unusual", but not a clue beyond that.

Unless you make people slaughter their own lambs at the table or something, most people won't remember in 2 months time.

If its really bad you will remember it and it will be talked about for years , I had a meal at a wedding in Faithlegg back in 2006 that I was only talking about with a fellow guest last week.

GingerLily

Bandana boy wrote: »

Thoie wrote: »

The last few weddings I've been to had lovely food, very high standard of catering, and I now couldn't tell you what the hell I ate. I remember it was lovely, and beautifully presented and "unusual", but not a clue beyond that.

Unless you make people slaughter their own lambs at the table or something, most people won't remember in 2 months time.

If its really bad you will remember it and it will be talked about for years , I had a meal at a wedding in Faithlegg back in 2006 that I was only talking about with a fellow guest last week.

You have to share why so we can be sure to avoid making the same mistakes!

A_Sober_Paddy

HamsterFace wrote: »

Hi there,

We're beginning to pick our menu and are hoping for a little advice.

One of the options is a confit of duck leg which we both love but are wondering could that really be done well and served well times a hundred?

Our venu does have a good rep but it just sounds as something which would be hard to do, practically speaking.

Other options I like both come with a surcharge, am not mad on chicken or roast beef...

Appreciate any opinions or experiences

Duck is proper hard to cook properly, I've never had good duck, always overcooked and if for a wedding unless it's a 5 star I'd stay away

SarahMollie

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Duck is proper hard to cook properly, I've never had good duck, always overcooked and if for a wedding unless it's a 5 star I'd stay away

See, you say that, but we had it in work yesterday of all places and it was delicious. Nicely seasoned and with extremely crispy skin, everyone was raving about it. (Yes, our canteen has notions before anyone asks!)

I've had that many chewy, overcooked fillet of beef at this stage that I'd happy chance my arm on some duck.

Once your other option is reasonable safe to satisfy the fussy eaters, then I'd go for it.

eviltwin

Story Bud? wrote: »

What you get to eat being decided by your gender?

I thought I'd heard it all when it came to weddings, clearly I had not.

I think this issue deserves a thread of its own.

Its a strange one alright, I mean, how do you decide what is a manly dish and what is a girlie one?

meeeeh

It doesn't matter that much anyway. I'be been to plenty of weddings where the food was good, but maybe only one or two where it was delicious. It's hard to do perfect food that will be served to 200 people. Plus often wine isn't properly matched to the food. So if someone decided to serve me good duck and par it with right wine I would be more than happy even if food would be gender specific.

lazygal

neris wrote: »

we had duck for the women and beef/steak for the men at our wedding, guys were complaining that they didnt get duck and women were complaining that their duck was been nicked by their other halfs. you cant win

I'm so confused by this I don't know where to start.

freshpopcorn

Being honest it all depends in your family and friends. I love duck. I'd prefer duck breast over duck leg. I know my family and friends doesn't like it tough.
I'd have a more traditional option on the menu as well because weddings are long days and I'd fell awful if my guests went home hungry.

Fluffy Cat 88

eviltwin wrote: »

I think this issue deserves a thread of its own.

Its a strange one alright, I mean, how do you decide what is a manly dish and what is a girlie one?

Whoever thought that sort of meal segregation was a good idea needs a kick in the hole!

Ffs!

HamsterFace

Maybe it was out of consideration for the ladies that they would get less calories and so continue to look like pretty little things for their menfolk?

meeeeh

Nasty much?

Duck has more calories than filet of beef.

Elliott S

Duck is a very popular meat with most of my family and friends! We'd all be delira to see it on a wedding menu.