I had an extra muscovy drake that I sent to the butcher last year. He was less than a year old. The butcher said that he did not have to skin him because he cleaned up fairly well. For Christmas I baked him in a roaster with a baking bag. He turned out so dry it was like peeling jerkey off of him. I talked with a friend who had had a duck butchered also and she said the same thing happened with her duck. Don't know what kind hers was. I had always heard that ducks were fatty and even the cookbook said this. How do you cook a duck so it is tender when it has no natural fat or very little?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), January 11, 2000

Answers

Being from Louisiana I only use ducks in gumbo, lol. But all wild game generally tends to be dry. Try putting strips of bacon on the duck to enhance the flavor and add fat. Also when cooking in a baking bag i usually put a little water and a can of cream of mushroom soup (never done this with duck though). The bacon strips work well on geese and on grilled duck breast. Also I am just curious........how in the world did you find a butcher that would dress a duck for you?

-- brian r (brian3006@msn.com), January 11, 2000.

Here in Indiana I have heard that there are only two "state inspected and licensed" places that butcher poultry. One is in the south from what I have heard, but the other is in the north near Goshen. It's about an hour trip, but I have a friend there that also raises poultry for butchering and we take ours together. Other than that I can't find anyone to do it, and I don't want to do it myself.

Thanks for your tips.

Anyone else with more comments?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), January 12, 2000.

I just cook it in a roaster with a little water and dont open it till I think its done. usely about 30 min a LB.

-- wittey (wittey@aol.com), January 12, 2000.

We eat a lot of duck meat, because we have had a lot of ducks. If you want them to taste good it is important that they not be frightened just before they are killed or they taste like fear. Don't ask me what fear tastes like, you will know it if you taste meat that has been scared.I don't like it. Anyway,duck that is older than a few months gets dry,tough, and stringy. About 6 weeks is the prime time to kill them. But if they are older,you can make them moist and tender by slow moist cooking. Roasting is more suitable for the young ones. We like to put them in a roasting pan,rub lemon juice into the entire duck inside and out (this helps tenderize it)you can use honey over the lemon if you like it sweet. We also like to put some orange juice in the pan,or you can use water,and cover it up and roast it as usual. They also make good stew,especially if the stew has an acid ingredient like tomatoes,which will tenderize it as it simmers for a few hours.For a really fat duck you need to feed them some grain. The suggested amount in our duck book is to feed them 20 pounds of high energy feed (high protein is essential for any growing duck) over a 7 week period,from hatching.At 7 weeks you butcher them and they weigh about 7 pounds.They are ready to be butchered as soon as their primary wing feathers are developed.They are also easiest to pluck at this age.

-- Rebekah Leaf (daniel1@transport.com), January 14, 2000.

I raised a big batch of Mucovies last year, and I found them way less fatty than other ducks. I usually roasted them with a halved onion, and a halved apple inside,and bacon strips laid over, with foil covering after it has browned. Also; not more than a few months old. Makes a big difference. The old ones make great soup though!!

-- Jenny Pipes (auntjenny6@aol.com), January 16, 2000.

we eat muskovies all the time past 20 years - maybe cooked too long? i put ours in roasting pan, with some water in bottom, apples, celery, maybe orange juice in and over, and stuffed insive cavity - kosher salt, coarse pepper outside on duck - comver, roast about 350 degree about 30 - 45 min. then start checking doneness - rarely have dried out meat - good luck, enjoy, tingo.

-- susankeller (tingotoo@yahoo.com), February 15, 2000.

R, A Muscovy duck is really good eating but unlike the other ducks, they get really tough if you wait too long to butcher them. 6 months is about the maximun age for them, after that they are too tough to eat if you bake them, you need to make duck soup!!! karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), May 21, 2000.