Easy Techniques for Removing Duck Feathers
Removing duck feathers can be time-consuming and challenging to clean. Therefore, easy techniques for removing duck feathers will be a lifesaver for housewives who want to cook delicious dishes from ducks.
Using papaya leaves
One of the popular traditional methods used to remove the smell and feathers of ducks is to use papaya leaves, as follows:
Step 1
Mash the papaya leaves and put them in a boiling pan. After cutting the duck’s organs, soak it in cold water to evenly moisten the feathers and skin.
Step 2
Take the duck out, pour white wine or rice vinegar on it, and leave it for 10 minutes.
Step 3
When the water is boiling, you soak the duck in the papaya leaf pot. Soak for a few minutes, if you find that the wing feathers are easy to remove, then you can take out the duck and proceed to clean the feathers as usual.
Step 4
When plucking duck feathers, you need to rub your hand against the skin, following the direction of hair growth, to clean the down feathers and clean the feathers faster. With this easy technique for removing duck feathers, anyone can easily pluck all the feathers.
Using white wine
You may not know, white wine not only eliminates the fishy smell but also helps to easily remove the duck’s fluff.
The duck, after cutting its organs, needs to be dipped in cold water for the water to permeate all over its body and skin. After taking it out, you can pour white wine over the whole duck, and leave it for about 10 minutes so the wine can penetrate the leg feathers. At this point, the pores on the duck’s skin will open up.
Next, you dip the duck in warm water and start plucking the feathers. Both the down feathers and the fluff of the duck can be cleaned without much effort.
Using salt grains
Using salt is also an easy and quick technique for removing duck feathers. After cutting the duck’s organs, soak it in a basin of cold water to remove excess blood and dirt, then dip it in a hot water basin with 2-3 tablespoons of salt grains. Then, you can start plucking the duck feathers. With this method, all the duck feathers will be completely cleaned.
After cleaning the feathers, you should rub them again with salt and rinse several times to make the duck cleaner.
Before cooking, you should immerse the whole duck in cold water for about 20 minutes to make the duck meat white and fresh, and the dish more appealing.
Feather plucking with a duck feather plucker
Plucking duck feathers by hand can damage the duck’s skin and make the duck scratched, making the dish less attractive during the cooking process. In this case, a duck feather plucker will assist you in quickly and effectively cleaning the duck meat without damaging the duck.
The duck feather plucker has excellent elasticity, with natural and durable rubber nipples that allow you to clean the feathers without affecting the duck’s skin. In addition, each machine can pluck 2-4 ducks at a time, taking only about 1 minute per plucking.
Some tips when plucking duck feathers
You should not use boiling water at 100ºC to scald the duck. Only use lukewarm water around 40ºC to open up the duck’s pores, making it easier to pluck the feathers. Hot water will cause the pores on the duck’s skin to close immediately, making it more difficult to clean the feathers. In addition, hot water can crack and damage the duck’s skin.
The plucking process should be decisive, firmly rubbing your hand down against the skin and following the direction of hair growth to remove all the down feathers.
You should pluck the duck feathers sequentially, cleaning one part before moving on to another. For the remaining down feathers, you can use your hands or tweezers to remove them.
In addition, you should avoid buying ducks that are too young as the meat will be soft and have more fluff.
Tips for choosing excellent ducks
According to folk experience, to have a delicious duck dish, you should choose male ducks that are not too old or too young. This type of duck has thick meat, less fat, and enough feathers, making it easier to clean.
When buying live ducks, choose those that have grown enough feathers, with thick feathers, and the upper wing part easily crosses over with each other. When touching the duck breast, it should feel full without any bone, with a buoy that is big, even, and clean. If the buoy is flat, sticking with many impurities, it indicates that the duck is sick and should not be purchased.
The duck’s beak should not be too hard or too soft. Young ducks usually have a bigger and softer beak. On the other hand, the beak of an old duck will be smaller and harder.
Observe the duck’s legs, if you see a small meat cushion and a thin layer of fat, it is a plump duck.
Ducks that make noise and have a hoarse voice are male ducks.
Depending on personal preferences and the intended dish, choose ducks that are suitable for your needs. For example, grass ducks have less fat and have a fragrant and sweet taste but more bones. On the other hand, Chinese ducks have more lean meat, thick meat, and firm texture. Super lean ducks have more meat, thick meat, but the taste is not as strong as grass ducks and Chinese ducks.
Tips to get rid of the smell of duck meat
During the cooking process, if you don’t know how to eliminate the smell, your duck dish will have an unpleasant smell and become less delicious. With the following ingredients, getting rid of the smell of duck meat will be easier.
Using ginger
To prevent the duck from smelling, before boiling, you should marinate it with a little salt, pepper, and pounded ginger, you can also add a little white wine, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse it off and drain it, then proceed to cook.
Use a whole roasted onion, a piece of pounded ginger, and pound it into the pot. This method helps to remove the smell of the duck entirely, and your duck dish will have a pleasant aroma.
Using vinegar
Mix salt and vinegar. After cleaning the duck, use this mixture to rub thoroughly inside and outside the duck several times. As a result, when you eat it, you will no longer smell the duck’s odor.
Using lime
If you don’t have vinegar at home, you can use lime to rub directly on the duck, and the duck will no longer have a smell. Otherwise, when boiling, you can pound a few onions and roasted ginger to put in the pot.
Remove the duck’s phao câu
The culprit for the duck’s smell is the phao câu located near the anus. Therefore, when cooking duck meat, you must completely remove the phao câu.
In addition, to make the duck delicious and attractive, you need to soak the whole duck in cold water for about 20 minutes before boiling it. Ducks tend to turn black when placed outside. Duck meat turns white and attractive after soaking in cold water. To soften the duck meat, you can soak it in a vinegar mixture.