How to Clean a Duck
Here is one way to begin preparing ducks for the table.
Equipment needed: a sturdy pair of kitchen or game shears and a fillet knife.
At all steps in the process take care to avoid cutting yourself on the sharp edges of broken bones.
Cut off wings as close to the wing joint as possible.
Starting near the top of the breast, begin plucking the feathers off the breast only.
Pluck the breast as shown.
Using the filet knife make a small cut in the skin right over the breast bone.
Grasp the skin at the cut and pull it down and back exposing the breast meat.
Cut along the “wish” bone from wing joint to breast bone and as deep as the bone under the breast.
Cut along breast bone letting the knife follow the contour of the bone until the meat is free of the bone. This cut is similar to the cut made when filleting a fish.
Trim the filet away from the skin and other connecting tissue.
Remove the filet from the carcass.
Each duck will produce two nice filets ready for your favorite recipe.