the butcher, the baker

    I butcher more ducks every week than I care to think about, but it's a more special occasion when they come with the head and feet on, and all of their organs inside. It will give me an opportunity to show how to dress a full duck, as it can be a slightly delicate process to avoid nicking the intestines and tainting the meat. The process with photographs follows.

a bit of a bruise

1. Remove the duck's head where it meets the spine. It can be difficult to find the spot in between the bones with the blade, as small as they are, but show diligence and use a heavy knife.
   
   

   off with his head

2. Remove the feet at the ankle with the duck on its back by bending the leg upwards and slicing through the joint. The feet will add some gelatin to your stock; do not waste them.
   
   

   bend the joint upwards for an easier cut

3. Pinch the loose skin located over the abdomen and below the breast and delicately slice it open, trying not to pierce anything inside. Don't worry too much about hitting the intestines here, as there is a layer of fat and a gizzard in the way, but be careful all the same.
   
   

   don't go too deep

4. Shove your hand all the way up into the cavity along the inside of the breast and yank everything out all the way down where the colon connects at the bottom.
   
   

   yank

5. With a heavy knife, cut the tail off right above the anus as pictured. This will both keep the intestines in one piece and remove the scent gland which is on the back side of the tail.
   
   

   cut here

6. From the pile of guts, pull the liver, heart and gallbladder. Eat the hearts as a snack and the liver with breakfast tomorrow.
   
   

   liver and gizzard are visible. heart is hidden from view

   The gizzard, as pictured, can be cut open to reveal whatever the duck was digesting at the time of death. Along with the food there will usually be small stones which the duck swallows to help break up the food. If you clean this out and peel away the layer of tissue inside the gizzard it can then be cooked. Braising or stewing is generally the way to go. Get enough of these together and you could make Cajun dirty rice or something.
   
   

   gizzard

7. Now the duck will resemble something you would find in the supermarket. No feet, no head, maybe a couple of organs.
8. Remove the legs and the breasts as per normal poultry butchery, and that's it for the meat. Rinse out the cavity on the carcass and it is ready to be roasted and used for stock. Duck all done.
   
   

   removing the legs

   
   

   removing the breasts

And What To Do With Duck?
     You could cook the breast in a pan, taking care to gently render the fat from the skin and serve medium-rare. As for the legs, a common usage would be to sprinkle with a generous helping of salt and then poach gently in duck fat after a couple days of curing. This would be called duck confit, and deserves a post all its own. But that is for another day.