More Drakes than Ducks???

[crissycriss]

I have 7Pekin Ducks 4 maybe 5 of them are drakes They are 10 wks old.Thought they were all ducks when i got them.Out of my mallards 1 is a drake and 3 are ducks My husband and dad want to eat the extra pekin drakes.Are ducks greasy?Whats the best way to cook duck?What are good seasonings to use on duck?Sorry for all the questions havent never eat or cooked duck before.Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[zooweemama]

Pekin ducks are a good eating duck. If you let them free range some then they are going to be a leaner duck. The ducks most people eat from the store have been restricted in physical movement and fed high calorie diets to make them fat fast. You likely did not do any of that so your duck is already going to be leaner (less 'greasy'). I roast the duck and for seasonings I rub pepper and salt and herbs on it with a tiny bit of olive oil.

 

[crissycriss]

Thank you!Its good to know the right seasonings make all the diifference.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Take the dressed duck and poke holes into the fat on the breast. Place some onion, garlic, and fresh herbs or a sliced lemon in the cavity.

Place the duck breast down on a roasting rack that will hold it up out of the melted fat. Duck is best if it is not over cooked. I roast duck at 325 F

Save the melted fat. Then take some fresh potatoes and cut them into french fries. Toss the potatoes with the melted fat. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 F until they are crispy. They are called "duck fries" and they will be the best french fires you have ever eaten in your life.

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you want a glaze for the duck, a very simple one is to mix frozen orange juice concentrate with equal amounts of red current jelly. When the duck is nearly done, turn it breast side up and paint it with the glaze. Finish cooking until the glaze is set.

 

[zooweemama]

Take the dressed duck and poke holes into the fat on the breast. Place some onion, garlic, and fresh herbs or a sliced lemon in the cavity.

Place the duck breast down on a roasting rack that will hold it up out of the melted fat. Duck is best if it is not over cooked. I roast duck at 325 F

Save the melted fat. Then take some fresh potatoes and cut them into french fries. Toss the potatoes with the melted fat. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 F until they are crispy. They are called "duck fries" and they will be the best french fires you have ever eaten in your life.

Oh my. I will have to try this with the rendered duck fat. NEVER occurred to me to do such a thing. I am such a food nerd- I love this idea!

 

[Captain Cluck]

I am going to try duck fries next time I roast a duck, now that I know what to do with the duck fat I have saved in my freezer.

When I roast my ducks, I like the skin all crispy. It is better than potato chips. To get the skin crispy, I separate the skin from the breast while it is on the duck, then cut a few slices through the skin but not into the meat, put the duck in a covered roasting pan with 1 cup of hot water, dust it with herbs and spices, and cover it with the lid (with any veggies you want to add) and cook it first at 350-400 for 10-20 minutes, then drop it to 250 for about an hour - 1 1/2 or 2 hours depending on the size of the bird, then remove the pan lid and bring it up to 500 for about 10 minutes to brown and crisp up the skin. Peel the crisp skin off and yum! If I am feeling lazy, I do the prep, but teat the duck like a chicken and cook it at 350 for about 30-45 minutes in the covered roaster.. Check for doneness, cook more if needed then up the temp to 400-500 for 5-10 minutes to brown and crisp the skin. It still comes out good.

For seasoning, I sprinkle on a little of almost everything in my spice cabinet: black pepper, cilantro, ginger, paprika, garlic, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, salt, oregano, and curry powder, a bit of chili powder if I have it. I just lightly sprinkle each herb or spice over the duck before roasting. If you like, you can mix all your spices together and then sprinkle.

The flavor is intricate and delightful. Not spicy, but light. And the crispy skin is all mine! LOL, my husband doesn't like it. He likes his duck with a sweet sauce, I like mine more savory.

 

[crissycriss]

YUMMY!!!!! I cant wait to try these.I'm drooling all over myself TY TY TY

 

[crissycriss]

YUMMY!!!!! I cant wait to try these.I'm drooling all over myself TY TY TY

 

[ducklucky]

Pekin is a joy to eat, but difficult to process. A lot of people just pull the skin off, which is a waste of the best part. If your dad and hub have the patience to pull all the pins out, good for you. It is tough trying to find a butcher to do it, and expensive (i.e., that's why the ducks in the freezer dept go for $25 or more, and they are Giant Pekins).
So easy to roast, yes, prick the skin all over, taking care not to pierce the meat. Also make sure the baby is room temp before roasting, and dried real well inside and out (makes for crisper skin). All of the suggestions here are great, it's a matter of taste. You can make your orange sauce on the side for those who like that, they can use it like gravy, just add a little duck fat drippings to it for flavor (and also a tablespoon or 2 of gran marnier or other orange liquer). Siphon off the duck fat as it roasts and put in a saucepan and on very low heat, let it "render", emphasize low heat, or it will splatter. This simply removes moisture and adds even more flavor. Let it cool and store in covered container in fridge, and use it for EVERYTHING! Like ours on rye toast, use it like butter. Saute just about anything in it, and the french fries are the best you will ever have. Duck fat is actually lower in cholesterol than butter, and some oils. Another advantage to making the orange sauce on the side is that it won't flavor the pan drippings, if you decide to baste the duck with the sauce, make sure you have gotten all the fat you can from the pan before applying and brush it on at the end of roasting.
A time consuming but really neat trick to get the crispiest skin, is to set your duck (after wiping to dry) in front of a fan on low, aimed at the insides, for a couple of hours. The drier you get the bird, the better (it almost becomes PEKING duck, but that's another story) and crisper. You should also roast your duck so it is a little pink, don't be afraid of that. Most restaurants serve it rare to medium rare, unlike chicken.
This past spring we ordered 15 pounds of rendered duck fat from a farm in PA. That's how much we love it for cooking. Put it up in pound containers and froze it, pull it out as needed. Keeps in fridge for weeks and weeks.
Sounds like there are some good duck chefs here, experiment and enjoy, you will be hooked!!! Ducklucky.