Yakitori-Style Duck Hearts with Pickled Watermelon Rind

Name: Yakitori-Style Duck Hearts
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D1H15M
Total time: PT0D1H15M
Yield: 4
Ingredients: ¼ cup honey; ¼ cup mirin; ¼ cup sake; ¼ cup soy sauce; 1 tsp. finely grated ginger; 12 duck hearts, rinsed and patted dry; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; Sesame seeds and pickled watermelon rind, for garnish

A honey-soy sauce marinade tempers any gaminess in these party-ready skewers.

Serves
4
Time
1 hour 15 minutes

PHOTO: GENTL & HYERS • FOOD STYLING: MARIANA VELASQUEZ • PROP STYLING: HELEN CROWTHER

By Amethyst Ganaway

Published on October 29, 2024

Open season for duck in the Carolina Lowcountry starts in November. Whenever Charleston-based chef Amethyst Ganaway can source duck hearts, she likes to marinate them for yakitori-style duck heart skewers: “These tiny morsels are sweet, rich, and a little chewy. They’re muscles, after all.” She recommends pulling them off the skewer and popping them into your mouth while hot. Sesame seeds (also known by their Gullah Geechee name, benne) and pickled watermelon rind make wonderful garnishes.

Featured in "Any Night Can Be (Wild) Game Night" by Shane Mitchell.

Ingredients

¼ cup honey
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sake
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tsp. finely grated ginger
12 duck hearts, rinsed and patted dry
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Sesame seeds and pickled watermelon rind, for garnish

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Instructions

Step 1

To a zip-top bag, add the honey, mirin, sake, soy sauce, ginger, duck hearts, and garlic. Seal and gently massage to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 12.

Step 2

Soak four bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to high, or position a rack just below the broiler and preheat to high. Thread the hearts evenly onto the skewers, discarding the marinade. Cook, turning every 2 minutes, until the hearts are lightly charred, firm to the touch, and light pink inside when cut open, 3–6 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with pickled watermelon rind on the side.

To a zip-top bag, add the honey, mirin, sake, soy sauce, ginger, duck hearts, and garlic. Seal and gently massage to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 12.
Soak four bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to high, or position a rack just below the broiler and preheat to high. Thread the hearts evenly onto the skewers, discarding the marinade. Cook, turning every 2 minutes, until the hearts are lightly charred, firm to the touch, and light pink inside when cut open, 3–6 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with pickled watermelon rind on the side.