For the longest time, duck meat was not as popular in the US and Canada, as it is now. If you are a fan of chicken, wait until you taste duck, which despite being a poultry meat is entirely different. For some experts, it is counted as red meat by culinary standards, and it does contain a good amount of fat. In fact, many chefs prefer duck fat for cooking certain dishes over other animal fats. Chances are high that you may have spotted duck confit or something like whole roasted duck at many restaurants, and the good news is cooking duck meat is not complicated at all. Here’s what you must know about duck meat.
Strong flavor
Compared to turkey and chicken, duck is known for its strong flavor and great taste, more so because of the fat content in the skin. The lean meat may taste close to some of the red meats. Cooked with minimal herbs, seasonings, duck meat doesn’t really need a lot, thanks to the skin, which contains all the fatty goodness. The skin is best scored when it comes to making recipes on a pan, so that you can actually render the fat without a lot of effort. You don’t even need oil in the pan – the meat cooks in its own skin fat!
Amazing nutrition profile
Duck meat contains no carbohydrates or fiber. About 100 grams of it contains 28.4 grams of fat and 300 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, and you get about 19.0 grams of protein. If you are on the keto diet, duck meat can be a much better choice than chicken, and yes, when you want to reduce the fat content, just remove the skin. The actual meat doesn’t contain much fat. Duck meat is also a source of certain vitamins, including Vitamin B3, but it is more known for its micronutrient profile. It contains a bunch of important nutrients, including niacin, selenium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and copper. You also get a considerable amount of your dietary glycine from the meat. It remains an incredibly flavorsome, especially in moderation.
Things to note
The quality of duck meat is important, not merely for flavors, but also for the nutrient profile. Make sure that you always trust and source your meat from a retailer than you can trust. Don’t shy away from trying new recipes, and don’t throw away the rendered duck fat, because it can be actually more flavorsome for other recipes when compared to butter.
