Ive been asked by a few new duck hunters how to clean and cook duck.
I took a bunch of pics last year, thought I post and see if anyone dose it really any different.
I know some don't pluck, but I like the skin on to protect the meat while cooking.
We pluck when warm, so In the boat usually, and right after we finish picking up the decoys at night.
Feathers come out way easier then, and they just blow away.
Pluck the belly, around each wing, and around each leg, The back feathers can stay on.
Once back in the shack, use a fillet knife and score the skin,
Across the neck, down one side on the belly side of the wing then the back side of the leg,
Across the bottom of the rib cage towards other side, careful not to puncture the belly.
Up the remaining side, on the back side of the leg, and the back side of the wing, end where ya started at the neck.
On some birds the legs can be cut from the body when you score the skin on the back side of the duck.
Usually I go in with pruners and cut them off close to the body.
The wings are attached with a scapula shaped bone that can be cut from the bird with the fillet knife on the back side.
The wing you cut the skin at the back side stays with the breast for storage or transport.
Using a pair of hand pruners you cut the birds collar bone on the side that the wing gets removed with the head.
On larger birds sometimes ya still have to cut both sides of the collar bone with the pruners.
Then, at the hole where the neck goes into the collar bone, pull apart the head and neck from the breast and discard the head side.
You should end up with a clean, gut free breast with skin on, one wing attached, and two legs attached by the skin.
To cook, I start with breast side up on BBQ, medium/high heat, the breast bone protects the meat from any flare ups.
Turn once almost cooked just to crisp up the skin.
Put the legs on the edge of BBQ so the feet stick out the front. close the lid, baste with sauce once they start to sizzle, turn using the feet till cooked.
Don't bbq the feet, they burn very easy and are not very appealing on the plate once burnt.
GREAT appetizers... and kids love the feet handles. The nails can be sharp tho...
I took a bunch of pics last year, thought I post and see if anyone dose it really any different.
I know some don't pluck, but I like the skin on to protect the meat while cooking.
We pluck when warm, so In the boat usually, and right after we finish picking up the decoys at night.
Feathers come out way easier then, and they just blow away.
Pluck the belly, around each wing, and around each leg, The back feathers can stay on.
Once back in the shack, use a fillet knife and score the skin,
Across the neck, down one side on the belly side of the wing then the back side of the leg,
Across the bottom of the rib cage towards other side, careful not to puncture the belly.
Up the remaining side, on the back side of the leg, and the back side of the wing, end where ya started at the neck.
On some birds the legs can be cut from the body when you score the skin on the back side of the duck.
Usually I go in with pruners and cut them off close to the body.
The wings are attached with a scapula shaped bone that can be cut from the bird with the fillet knife on the back side.
The wing you cut the skin at the back side stays with the breast for storage or transport.
Using a pair of hand pruners you cut the birds collar bone on the side that the wing gets removed with the head.
On larger birds sometimes ya still have to cut both sides of the collar bone with the pruners.
Then, at the hole where the neck goes into the collar bone, pull apart the head and neck from the breast and discard the head side.
You should end up with a clean, gut free breast with skin on, one wing attached, and two legs attached by the skin.
To cook, I start with breast side up on BBQ, medium/high heat, the breast bone protects the meat from any flare ups.
Turn once almost cooked just to crisp up the skin.
Put the legs on the edge of BBQ so the feet stick out the front. close the lid, baste with sauce once they start to sizzle, turn using the feet till cooked.
Don't bbq the feet, they burn very easy and are not very appealing on the plate once burnt.
GREAT appetizers... and kids love the feet handles. The nails can be sharp tho...
