No matter how you plucked your birds, you will end up here doing some fine-tuning work to make the breasts and legs look restaurant ready. Feather time is super important for plucking the feathers, but how well you timed the feathers is really magnified when you get to this phase. Fine-tuning the breasts and legs can either break you or be quite effortless. Use a pair of Fish Tweezers to remove any stray pin feathers before cryovac and freezing.

If you are harvesting and processing your own ducks then you should want to get the most out of your hard work. Raising ducks is not a passive activity and taking them from the backyard to the plate is no easy task. Learn how to butcher your whole birds into beautiful skin on Breasts for pan-roasting; legs for Confit; and bones for stock. Maximize the food you get out of each bird.

This is exactly what you need to know to get the viscera out of your bird. This applies to Muscovy Ducks, but other birds are no different. If you’re eviscerating a Wild Shot bird or a backyard chicken, this method will work.

Learn how to make stock with duck bones. The process is the same for chicken bones, so feel free to substitute. This is a fundamental skill, but also a very simple project. It is great to have your own stock on hand in the freezer or pantry, it makes taking on a braising project much easier; and you will yield a much richer sauce. The tutorial video and recipe will make this process clear and easy to follow.