How to Truss a Duck

Trussing a duck before cooking keeps it juicy.

Trussing a duck is a key step to keeping all parts of the meat juicy. Often when roasting bird meat, such as duck or chicken, the legs and wings can become dry and tough because they don't have as much fat as the rest of the bird. Trussing the duck is a method of tying these limbs to the duck so the entire bird is tender and juicy. It isn't difficult to truss the duck; you just need kitchen string and a little patience.

Things You'll Need

• Duck
• Kitchen string
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Rinse the duck and use the paper towels to pat it dry. Wash out the cavities of the duck as well as the skin.

2. Set the duck breast-side up and grab the wing tips. Bring the tips upward to gather behind the neck and shoulder of the duck.

3. Use string to tie the wings together, close to the shoulder.

4. Grab the legs push them into the body of the meat, while pulling the ends together.

5. Crisscross the ends of the duck legs and tie them together tightly.

6. Cook your duck according to your recipe.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are trussing a stuffed duck, stuff the duck after tying the wings, then continue with the remaining steps.

References

• "The Beginner's Easy-to-Use How to Cook Book: The cook's guide to frying, grilling, poaching, steaming, casseroling and roasting a fabulous range of 150 tasty meals for every day and easy entertaining"; Bridget Jones; 2010
• "Williams-Sonoma: Roasting"; Barbara Grunes, Chuck Williams and Maren Caruso; 2002
• "Roasting: Meat, Fish, Vegetables, Sauces, and More"; Sonia Stevenson; 2007
• "Duck & Goose Cookery"; Eileen Clarke; 2002