Maple Leaf Farms Duck Recipes and How-tos
Ranked #14,989 in Food & Cooking, #263,930 overall
Duck Cooking Tips & How-tos
How to Cut Up a Whole Duck
1. Prepare the Duck
To cut up a whole duck, first take the duck from the package and remove giblets and packets from cavity. Rinse it under cold running water. Pat the duck dry. Place the duck breast side up on a clean, flat, solid cutting surface. Be sure to use a sharp kitchen knife.
2. Remove the Legs
Pull one whole leg firmly away from the body, putting pressure on the body. Cut through the skin and into the meat where leg meets the body. Bend the whole the leg back until the ball of the thighbone pops loose. Cut between the ball and the socket to separate the leg. Next, lay the knife flat against the body and cut through the meat to remove the thigh and leg. Repeat with the other leg.
3. Remove the Breasts
To remove the breasts, make a shallow incision running along one side of the breast bone. Continue cutting down and around the wishbone. Keep the knife blade flat against the breastbone and ribs and cut the breast from the bones while pulling the breast away with even tension. Be sure to remove the meat attached to the rib cage by keeping the knife flat against it and slicing downward. Slice through the skin and remove the breast. Repeat with the other side.
4. Remove the Wings
With duck on its back, remove the wings by cutting inside of the wing just over the joint. Pull wing away from body and cut from down through the skin and the joint. Repeat with the other wing.
5. Pieces
You now have two leg and thigh pieces, two boneless breasts and two wings. The remaining carcass, along with the wings, can be used for making stock. The wings do not have a lot of meat on them, but they can be made into hot wings, just like chicken wings.
Video: How To Cut Up a Whole Duck
How to Score Duck Breasts
1. Start meat side down.
Place the duck breast meat side down. With a sharp knife, draw the blade carefully at a diagonal through the skin, being careful not to cut into the meat. Make cuts at about ¼ inch intervals.
2. Rotate and score again.
Rotate breast, and score again making a criss-cross pattern.
3. Trim any excess skin.
Turn the breast over, meat side up, and trim any skin that extends beyond the meat.
4. Ready to season and cook.
Video: How to Score and Cook a Duck Breast
How to Cook Duck and Get Crispy Skin
Maple Leaf Farms Duck
This basic roast duck recipe creates a crispy skin and moist meat. To make the skin even crispier, try putting the duck under the broiler for the last few minutes -- but watch it closely so it does not burn/char.Roasted Whole Duck - Basic Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Maple Leaf Farms Whole Duck (5-6 lbs), defrosted
Boiling water
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1-1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
1 Orange, cut in quarters
1 Head Garlic, paper removed and top trimmed
2 Celery Stalks, cut into 2" pieces
Directions:
1. Make sure duck is thoroughly defrosted, if frozen. (Defrost in refrigerator for 2-3 days.) Start a large pot of water (deep enough to submerge a whole duck) on the stove, bringing to a rolling boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Remove duck from bag. Remove orange sauce packet (if included), giblets and neck from interior. Save giblets and neck for making stock. Remove and discard excess fat from body cavity and neck. Rinse duck inside and out under cool running water. Pat duck dry.
3. With a sharp fork, prick skin all over, being careful not to pierce the meat (if meat is pierced, it will dry out). Carefully put the duck in the pot of boiling water; boil for 10 minutes. Remove duck and let cool. Pat duck dry.
4. Mix the salt, pepper and paprika. Rub the duck inside and out with the spice mixture. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan breast side up. Stuff the orange quarters, whole head of garlic and cut celery pieces into the cavity of the duck. Fold the neck skin under, covering the cavity. Secure with a skewer.
5. Place the roasting pan in the oven. After 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. After 45 minutes, remove duck from oven. Remove any fat that may have collected in the bottom of the roasting pan. Carefully turn duck over, place back on rack in roasting pan, and return to oven for 35 minutes. At the end of the 35 minutes, remove duck from oven, remove any fat that may have accumulated, and carefully turn duck back over so breast side faces up. Return to oven.
If you have a 5 pound duck, cook for another 15 minutes; for a 6 pound duck, cook for another 20 minutes (total cooking time should add up to about 22 minutes per pound). Be careful not to overcook. The internal temperature should be 175 degrees at the thickest part of the leg and thigh joint. Remove duck from oven.
6. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let stand 15 minutes. Remove oranges and celery from cavity and throw away. Remove head of garlic; roasted head of garlic can be used as a great spread for bread.
6. Carve duck, serve and enjoy. (Makes 4 servings.)
by DiscoverDuck
Duck is easier to prepare than one might think. Here are some helpful cooking tips and duck recipes for preparing duck. At Maple Leaf Farms, we always... more »
- 1 featured lens
- Winner of 3 trophies!
- Top lens » Maple Leaf Farms Duck Recipes and How-tos
