All You Need to Know About Duck Meat!
With chickens, duck meat is arguably the most popular poultry dish that many have come to love and enjoy. There is more to ducks than just their similarities to chicken. Lucky for you, today we’re going talk all the things that you need to know about duck meat. Read up to know about everything quackin’ delicious about duck meat!
Basic facts
Ducks, swans or geese? They are different, but all belongs to the bird Anatidae family which explains the almost similar features of these birds. Different species of ducks are found worldwide, including in Indonesia. Several types that are common and locally bred include:
- Peking Duck: A popular type of duck that can weight up to 5 kg. Good quality meat, flavorful and tender.
- Serati Duck: Big posture with about 2.5-3 kg in weight.
- Hybrid Duck: A hybrid of Mojosari and Alabio ducks, weight up to 1.5 kg. Also known as “Bebek Raja”
- Balinese Duck: A native to Bali, Lombok and Nusa Tenggara, may reach about 1.6kg.
There are also other types of duck that are named based on its origin, for example : Bebek Tegal, Bebek Rambon (Cirebon), Bebek Mataram and more.
Ducks VS Chickens
Both are a favorite type of meat to work with and has the same versatility in any cooking dish, check out how duck differs from chicken:
- Habitat & Nature
The biggest difference in their habitat is chickens are land fowl, while ducks are waterfowl. Waterfowl has heavier fat deposits in their skins to protect them from cold weather, making them tender, juicier and more flavorful.
Ducks can also fly long distance, while chickens can barely hop on land. This also affect their entire anatomy, since flying requires more blood distribution and resulting in dark meat.
- Taste
Many would say that duck has a stronger flavor, but not too overpowering. Ducks are known to have amazing, full and rich taste compared to chicken and can be a classy alternative to a more common chicken meat.
- Nutrition
Duck is a lean meat filled with protein. It is also comparable in fat and calories to a skinless chicken. Duck has an excellent selenium and zinc content, which encourages metabolism. This doesn’t mean that chicken doesn’t have its benefits, since it contains less fat and also has lean portion that can be good for your diet.
- Versatility
Both ducks and chickens are very versatile in any cooking methods or occasions.
Buying & cooking duck meat
A duck can be fully utilized for cooking, such as the breast for sautéed or roasted purpose, the legs are great for braising, the fatty meat and skins work great when fried, grilled or roasted. Last but not least, duck stock can be made out of the leftover parts to sweeten your other dish. Except the beak, a good chef believes that nothing should go to waste.
Ducks are available fresh and frozen, whole, or in packages of breasts only. When purchasing duck meat, the darker the flesh, the older the duck. If you purchase a fresh duck, check that the skin is clean, odor-free, feather-free, and off-white (not yellow). Frozen ducks should be plump-breasted and wrapped in airtight packages.
It is best to choose the duck based on what the recipe requires, and refer to trusted seller every time, such as LuxoFood.
Now when it comes to cooking a duck, remember that it is fattier and has thick layer of fat under the skin, which makes the meat nicely moist. So refer to these general tips below when cooking :
- Prick the skin before roasting or grilling to allow the fat to escape.
- When cooking duck breast, cook with the skin upside down until it turns brown and crisp.
- If broiling or grilling, choose skinless duck breasts.
Sous-vide Confit Duck Legs (2pcs) + Sauce by Chef Camille – Rp320,000
Sous-vide Confit Duck Breasts (2pcs) + Sauce by Chef Camille – Rp320,000
