Duck Meat Cuts and recipes
Choose the perfect duck cuts.
Whole
Whole bird with all parts usually excluding the head and giblets. A whole duck consists of light and dark meat.
1-2. Neck and back
Along with giblets, neck cuts are perfect for making gravy and stocks. These parts can also be fried as a snack or added to sauces for flavour.
3. Wings
An all-white portion of the duck with three sections: the drumette, flat mid-section and tip
4. Breast
Breast is the most versatile part of the duck consisting of all white meat. Tenderloin is a thick strip of meat cut from between the bird’s breasts. Sauté quickly and serve with a creamy sauce, stir-fry or flash fry on the barbecue.
5. Drumsticks
The drumsticks are the calf parts of the leg. They come on the bone and consist of all dark meat.
6. Thigh
The portion of the leg cut above the joint of the knee. Typically available bone-in with skin, or boneless and skinless.
Choose the perfect duck
Ducks, or ducklings as they are also referred, should be no more than six months old and weigh 1.5 to 3.5 kilograms providing a tender rich meat for cooking. Ducks most suitable for broiling or frying are classified as “broilers” or “fryers” when they are no older than 8 weeks.
Ducks that are 8 to 16 weeks old have gained more fat and are then classified as “roasters” which are most suitable for roasting or cooking with a rotisserie grill. The meat of a duck is all dark meat, providing a distinctively hearty flavour that may be rich tasting, depending on the method and procedures for preparation.
Commercially available ducks (domesticated) are graded as Grade A, B, or C. Grade A and Grade B ducks can be found in food stores and markets, with Grade A being the best grade containing the most meat. Ducks considered as Grade C ducks are traditionally sold to food processors for use in commercial products.
When selecting a whole duck, choose those with tender and meaty breasts covered with firm skin that is not noticeably wrinkled. Since many ducks are frozen, it becomes difficult to depress the flesh, but most can be checked for round, plump features. Duck parts are also available and can generally be purchased as hindquarters or breasts.
Hindquarters consist of leg and thigh meat that can be grilled, roasted, slow-cooked, or pan fried for best results. Duck breasts consist of a boneless piece of meat that may be skinned or skinless that can be prepared similar to chicken breasts, by roasting, searing, sautéing, slow-cooking with other ingredients.
Ducks typically contain a large amount of fat in relation to meat, which can be carved away before cooking. Additional fat will drip from the duck as it roasts and may cause some smoking, so it is best to consider the best way to roast duck meat before the excess fat burns.
When necessary, the excess fat can be siphoned off to assist with the smoking problems. Some prefer to render the fat from the skin prior to roasting, so the duck is crispier and also makes it leaner. When comparing the meat yield to a chicken, there is much less meat on a duck than a chicken of comparable weight. A duck weighing 3 to 3.5 kilograms will most often serve 4 people.
Store fresh ducks in a refrigerator for no more than 3 days for the best flavour. Remove any giblets or stuffing if placed in the cavity of the duck, prior to being refrigerated.
Recipe –
Duck Breasts with Indonesian Marinade
This duck breast is cooked on an open flame or gas braai.
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless duck breasts
60 ml soy sauce
30 ml honey
15 ml sesame seeds, toasted
3 garlic cloves, crushed
50 ml chicken stock
5 ml hoisin sauce
7 ml corn flour
15 ml Sake (Japanese rice wine)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
rice or noodles to serve
METHOD
• Using a sharp knife trim the skin of the duck breast to about 3mm and cut off any excess fat or skin that overhangs the edge of the meat. Score the remaining fat in a diamond pattern, cutting the fat right through to the flesh. This helps the excess fat to drain away. Set aside.
• Mix together the soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds and garlic to make a marinade. Put the duck breasts into a large shallow dish in a single layer and pour over the marinade, turning the meat to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours turning occasionally.
• Remove meat from marinade, reserving the marinade, and place in the centre of the cooking grate, skin side down. Barbecue over indirect medium heat for 10 minutes, turning once, then remove from the grill and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the chicken stock, hoisin sauce and reserved marinade into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer gently.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the corn flour and Sake until smooth. Whisk into the saucepan and continue simmering until thickened (about 1-2 minutes).
• Slice the duck breasts diagonally and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve with rice or noodles.
Serves 4
