How to Clean Excess Fat off Ducks And Geese

Ducks & geese have an extra thick layer of fat all under their skin. That helps them keep them warm and gives them the ability to float while they are in water.

Before and during cooking, this layer of fat must be removed or drained as it is not ideal to eat the meat with the fat.

A perfectly prepared and cooked duck will have very little if any fat remaining and a nice, thin and crispy skin.

This is a simple guide to help remove the excess layer of fat found in ducks and geese.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• duck
• wooden cutting board
• knife
• boiling water (optional)
• steaming pot (optional)

1. First we clean the duck as we would a chicken. see article below for more details.

2. Now to remove the excess fat layer under the skin is tricky. The easiest way to do it is by pricking holes/slits in the skin several time without poking in the meat. That way when the duck is roasting, all the fat will melt and escape through the holes/slits.

3. Another way to melt the fat is to steam the duck for 20-30 minutes above 3-4 inches of boiling water in a deep pot. Then let it cool a little to be able to add seasoning and roast in the oven.

4. You can also pour a kettle of boiling water over the duck before seasoning it. This way will melt some of the fat only, not all. Also prick the skin in this case many times for the rest to escape.

5. Continue with your recipe! Add Seasoning, vegetables, or whatever the recipe you're making says.. For a nice twist, check my recipe below.

Tips & Warnings

• prick many holes into the duck or goose skin to let melted fat escape while cooking.

Resources

• How to clean a chicken