Crescent Duck Farm ducks are back on Long Island restaurant menus

Almost two years after Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue was shuttered due to an outbreak of bird flu, the ducks are back.

Long Island duck became famous the world over when scores of farms here were raising the Pekin breed, originally from China. The name persisted even as our farms began to close during the mid 20th century. By 2015, only Crescent, founded in 1908, remained.

Then, in January 2025, state and federal authorities instructed Crescent to euthanize its entire flock of about 99,000 birds. Luckily, owner Doug Corwin had a cache of 15,000 eggs that had been segregated from the affected birds. Those eggs were incubated off site and a third of them hatched — enough to create a new, post-outbreak generation of ducks. At the beginning of September, production resumed at the farm. 

While Crescent ducks were unavailable, local restaurants had to find alternatives but now, Corwin said, his major wholesale partners — Main Street Meats, Chefs’ Warehouse, D’Artagnan Foods and Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors — are fully stocked and that Baldor Specialty Foods should be coming online next week.

Some chefs were so pumped about the news, they headed out to Aquebogue to pick up the birds themselves. Elmer Rubio, chef-owner of Chachama Grill in East Patchogue has been cooking with Crescent ducks for 30 years, and he was thankful when Corwin called him two weeks ago saying that his order was ready to be picked up. 

One of the dishes Rubio's customers will not permit him to take off the menu is his pan-roasted duck breast on a bed of almond-cranberry wild rice topped with peach chutney and accompanied by snow peas ($43). Since Crescent's shutdown last January, he'd been using ducks from the Hudson Valley but, he said this week, "To me, the local ducks have more flavor. I am very happy to have them back." 

At the Halyard in Greenport, chef Francis Derby said he "already has two cases of duck on hand right now, some in confit, some aging. My game plan is to run some chalkboard specials, keeping it 'of the moment.' " Right now, he is planning to offer duck toast with orange marmalade ($24), duck ragù pasta with bitter greens and walnuts $34), duck breast on the bone for two with local squash and maitake mushrooms ($95) and a roasted half duck with hand-cut fries and sauce "Albufera" ($48). 

Other Crescent duck superfans include:

Barrow Food House in Riverhead, serving duck wings with tamarind-passion fruit glaze and cucumber raita, $18.

The Bellport in Bellport, serving roasted duck breast with dark-cherry demi-glace, red quinoa pilaf and grilled asparagus, $38.75.

The Fifth Season in Port Jefferson, serving pan-roasted duck breast with sautéed Brussels sprouts, mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry gastrique, $36.50

Jerry and the Mermaid in Riverhead, serving crispy duck wings with Asian barbecue drizzle and sesame seeds, $18.50

Modern Snack Bar in Aquebogue, serving roasted half duck with stuffing, gravy and applesauce, $41.95.

Orto in Miller Place, serving duck breast and duck croquette with sweet-potato puree and pickled apples, $35.

R. AIRE at Hampton Maid, serving duck breast with crispy spinach, polenta, confit pears, citrus fluid gel and fig demi-glace, $45.   Modern Snack Bar in Aquebogue, serving roasted half duck with stuffing, gravy and applesauce.

Villa Paul in Hampton Bays, serving roast duck with apple-raisin stuffing and black cherry sauce, $39.