Food & Receipts

The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Duck: A Delicious and Fragrant Feast.

Many individuals lack confidence in cooking duck because of the potential unpleasant odor it may emit. Here is the ultimate guide to effectively eliminate the gamey smell from duck meat.

Administrator

9 December, 2023

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Ingredients for Boiled Duck

1 duck, approximately 2kg

2 knobs of fresh ginger

1 bulb of onion

Rice vinegar

White wine

How to Boil a Delicious and Flavorful Duck

Step 1: Prepare the Duck

When buying a live duck, you can ask the seller to prepare it for you, or you can do it yourself at home. After cutting the duck’s throat, dip it into boiling water to pluck out the feathers. You will notice black liquid coming out of the pores; make sure to squeeze it out and rinse the duck thoroughly to get rid of any unpleasant smell.

The duck’s crop, located near the neck, is the main source of the foul smell in boiled duck meat. Therefore, it is essential to remove it entirely as it is not only smelly but also unhealthy. Don’t forget to peel off the dirty tongue inside the duck’s beak!

Once the feathers are removed, open up the duck’s belly to take out all the innards. You can clean and boil the innards along with the duck meat or chop them finely to make delicious dishes like glass noodle stir-fry with duck innards, stir-fried duck innards with winged beans, or stir-fried duck innards with golden shower tree flowers…

Step 2: Remove the Odor from the Duck Meat

This step is crucial, even though the feathers have been removed and the crop has been cut off. The duck meat still has a distinct smell, which can be slightly off-putting when consumed.

To get rid of the odor and make the duck meat more fragrant, rub the duck inside and out with salt grains, then rinse it off. After that, cut a few slices of ginger and rub them onto the duck meat before rinsing again. Ginger is excellent for neutralizing the duck’s odor.

If you want to be more thorough, you can use white wine, ginger wine, or rice vinegar to wash the duck and then rinse it with water. This will ensure that the duck is odor-free and will taste even better when boiled.

Step 3: Boil the Duck

The taste of boiled duck heavily depends on the quality of the ingredients and the boiling process. Prepare a pot of water and bring it to a boil, ensuring there is enough water to submerge the entire duck. Then, add one knob of crushed ginger, or one grilled onion, or one piece of grilled ginger to the water. These ingredients will infuse your boiled duck with an irresistible aroma.

When boiling the duck, reduce the heat once the water starts boiling, and then simmer for about 20-30 minutes to ensure the duck is cooked thoroughly.

To check if the duck is cooked, pierce the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear without any trace of red, the duck is done. After boiling, remove the duck from the pot and let it cool down a bit before chopping it into pieces.

Step 4: Chop the Duck and Arrange on a Plate

Unlike chicken, duck meat is best chopped while it’s still warm, as it tends to get tougher when cooled down. Cut the duck into bite-sized pieces and arrange them neatly on a plate.

Frequently asked questions

You will need a whole duck (approximately 2kg), fresh ginger, a bulb of onion, rice vinegar, and white wine.

If you purchase a live duck, you can ask the seller to prepare it, or you can do it yourself. Cut the duck’s throat, dip it in boiling water to remove the feathers, and squeeze out any black liquid from the pores. Remove the crop, located near the neck, as it is the main source of the foul smell. Don’t forget to peel the tongue inside the beak. Once the feathers are removed, open the belly and take out all the innards.

Rub the duck inside and out with salt grains, then rinse. Rub sliced ginger onto the meat and rinse again. You can also use white wine, ginger wine, or rice vinegar to wash the duck to neutralize any odors.

Prepare a pot of boiling water with enough water to submerge the entire duck. Add crushed ginger, grilled onion, or grilled ginger for aroma. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until cooked. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer; if the juices run clear, it’s done. Remove from the pot and let it cool slightly before chopping.

Duck meat is best chopped while it’s still warm. Cut into bite-sized pieces and arrange neatly on a plate. Unlike chicken, duck tends to get tougher when cooled completely.