It's duck season!
Succumb to the temptation!
Cooking duck has never been simpler. This week, Metro presents
whole duck and the different cuts of duck. A gourmet feast at your
fingertips!
Duck is farmed, for the most part, for its tender and flavourful meat. Our local markets most often carry three types of 7 to 8-week-old ducks:
- Barbary duck: the leanest of domestic ducks, containing 50% more breast meat. Because it is lean and small boned, this duck is very meaty and ideal to breed for foie gras (often force-fed: force-feeding in this case is possible only between the 14th and 16th week and is done exclusively for the production of foie gras).
- Peking duck: this duck is not force-fed. It is the most commonly found duck on the market because, not only is it very tasty, it grows rapidly and produces a large amount of eggs.
- Mulard duck: a force-fed duck that is a crossbreed of the male
Barbary and the female Peking.
Duck offers an excellent quality/price ratio. The storage life of duck is very appealing. Don’t hesitate to stock up so that you’ll have a supply on hand at all times!
To each his own! There are so many different cuts of duck one of them is sure to please you so why not try it?
- Whole duck: choose a duck weighing approximately 1.5 kilos (3 pounds) which will render 4 to 5 portions.
- Magret : breast of a force-fed duck
- Breast: breast of a non-force-fed duck
- Dried and smoked magret: practical and ready-to-serve as an appetizer
- Preserved leg (confit): meat cooked in its own fat: ideal for stews (cassoulet) or a quick salad.
- Duck fat: duck fat tolerates high heat very well and is delicious to use for pan-frying potatoes, grilling meats, sautéing vegetables or preparing sauce bases. Duck fat is very high in monounsaturated fats, the same good fats found in olive oil, and contains less saturated fat than butter. Store in the refrigerator. When filtered, it can be re-used.
- Other derived products like mousse and sausage.
Foie gras is the liver of a duck that was grain-fed for at least 12 days. Foie gras is a ready-to-serve product that contains at least 20% duck liver. It is generally eaten with a fork or on toasted bread. Foie gras is always prepared and cooked with great care which is why it is considered an exceptional gastronomic specialty. It is interesting to point out that if the product contains livers or other animal parts, it must be labelled as pâté, terrine or galantine.
A joy to connoisseurs, duck is easy to cook and lends itself to a variety of cooking methods including roasting, grilling, pan-frying, sautéing, and braising. It is also quite easy to cook on the barbecue.
The tender red meat of duck is extremely savoury and should not
be overcooked. For maximum flavour, duck should be served slightly
pink.
Duck pairs amazingly well with fruits such as cherries,
raspberries, figs, apples, oranges, blueberries. Bay leaf,
rosemary, sage and thyme also work well with duck meat.
Try some of our succulent duck
recipes to discover its unique taste.
Duck with apples and
ginger
Lake Brome duck with cherry
sauce
Magret or breast of duck
Magret with orange-spice
sauce
Breast of duck La
Soleillade
Preserved leg of duck (Confit)
Warm Duck Confit
salad
Cajun-style leg of duck
Foie gras
Pan-fried Foie gras
Crackers with oysters and foie
gras
Enjoy!
To find out more about duck and the many delightful duck products, click on the Expert Butcher duck section, or in store, visit your METRO’s Viandes & Idées meat department.