Lets Talk Duck

[doubleatraining]

June 9th is the next big processing day around here. I've got 7 CX heading to the freezer and I have 4-5 friends bringing over their meaties. It will be an all day event.

One friend is bringing 2 LARGE Muscovy Drakes to be processed. I have processed chickens and turkeys before but never a duck. We will be skinning them because I don't have the wax and its only 2 ducks.

Is there anything different I need to watch out for or do differently for these guys?

What are some good recipes for how to cook skinless duck?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Suggestion: feel under the feathers on the breast. If you can not feel pins, then pluck them instead of skinning.

They will require hotter scald water and they take longer to scald. Feathers are thicker, so it involves more plucking. If you have a mechanical plucker, they will come out almost clean. The duck will be better if the skin is left on to cook it.

If you feel a lot of pin feathers and don't have duck wax, then skinning is the way to go. It can take hours to pull all the pin feathers by hand.

I've never done a Muscovy. They are supposed to be lean, so you will cook like lean meat. Especially if the skin of off, the bird will dry out if you aren't careful how you cook it.