Deep Fried Ducks

[Oregon Blues]

I bought my son a turkey fryer for Christmas.

I got out a duck to thaw and he dashed down to the market and bought 6 gallons of frying oil. So I got out another duck since he was going to the time, effort, and money of firing up the deep fryer for it's initial test run.

Deep fried duck is really good.

I've got a couple of comments.

I had a Blue Swedish that was a couple of months older when butchered and weighed about 2 1/2 pounds. The other was an 8 week old Pekin that weighed 5 pounds. My son (who is the grill king) put them both in at the same time and took the smaller duck out first.

Both turned out excellent. The shorter frying time on the small duck did not give enough time for the skin to get properly browned, but the skin had a good flavor and the meat was wonderful.

The Pekin was large enough to get the outside browned and the breast meat still slightly pink. The Pekin was too fat and so the skin wasn't that tasty to eat because the bird didn't cook long enough to melt all the fat out from under the skin. I do not like a slab of duck fat, even if it has deep fried skin attached to it.

My experience from this is that the turkey fryer is best for a large lean duck. You want the meat to be thick enough that you have time to fry the skin crisp without getting the meat over-done.

 

[Oregon Blues]

A down side to the turkey fryer is that all that duck fat went into the cooking oil. Normally, I roast the ducks and save all that duck fat for cooking and making sausage.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Could you try slow roasting the duck in the oven to render some of the fat out before deep frying? That way you might also be able to control how done the meat gets before the skin gets completely crispy

 

[homesteadapps]

Steaming the duck at a minimum of 15 minutes before frying will help to render out the fat. Slicing the skin, especially breast skin before steaming will help it to release the fat.

 

[conny63malies]

just fry a muscovy duck, less fat to deal with

 

[Totalcolour]

just fry a muscovy duck, less fat to deal with

Mmmmmmmmm Muscovy! I have a sous-vide (water bath) that I use for the breasts and legs. I can set the final temp, turn it on, cook all day and they come out rare (for the breasts) and perfectly tender.

I'll have to try frying - sounds good to me!

 

[jdywntr]

Mmmmmmmmm Muscovy! I have a sous-vide (water bath) that I use for the breasts and legs. I can set the final temp, turn it on, cook all day and they come out rare (for the breasts) and perfectly tender.

I'll have to try frying - sounds good to me!

X2 sounds good to me.
I actually skinned the Muscovy that I processed recently. I have yet to cook any leg quarters but for the breasts, I sear for a few minutes on each side, throw it in the oven at 400 for 10ish minutes. Just salt and pepper and its delicious, cooked like a nice filet mignon.
Though something I tried: duck fajitas YUM..

 

[Totalcolour]

I actually skinned the Muscovy that I processed recently. I have yet to cook any leg quarters but for the breasts, I sear for a few minutes on each side, throw it in the oven at 400 for 10ish minutes. Just salt and pepper and its delicious, cooked like a nice filet mignon.
Though something I tried: duck fajitas YUM..

I cook duck legs with some added duck fat, in a vacu-seal bag, in the sous vide at 165 degrees for 12 hours, and they are to die for. So tender, they fall off the bone, And they are really good for fajitas, or for a different kind of pekin duck in those wraps with the scallions and plum sauce.

Wow

 

[weimanator]

how long would u cook one for? and how hot?

 

[Flying Lab Rat]

I know this is a little old, but here's how we fry ducks. Just skin it. You can then render the fat from the skin (which is where most of a duck's fat is) and you don't have to worry about crisping it. Works like a charm for us. We cut ours up like a chicken when we do it too, so you don't need such a big pot to cook them in.