John Myers
Whole duck, breast, or leg
Ducks consist of little meat but lots of bones. It is therefore particularly important to pay attention to the meat-fat content. For example, with a higher-fat Peking duck, you can assume that you will get less meat for 2kg than with a lower-fat Muscovy duck of the same weight.
You can pay attention to this when shopping:
- Smaller ducks tend to be more tender and not as greasy
- Difficult to detect fat content in frozen goods
- Best to ask the butcher
If you are unsure about a whole duck, you can also use several duck breasts or legs. Of course, this is also a great alternative if your oven doesn’t have room for 2 whole ducks. Especially with children, the delicate individual pieces are often better received.
How many kg of duck per person: table
Of course, how much meat you should plan for per person depends on whether you have heavy or rather reserved eaters at the table. Children often don’t eat that much either.
Kitchen rule:
About a quarter of a duck (including bones and innards) weighing about 2-2.5 kg is needed for one person.
You can use this table as a guide for the right amount of duck per person:
Number of people- duck meat
- 1-2 500g breast or leg meat or 1 small duck (1-2kg)
- 3-4 1 duck (2-2.5kg)
- 5-6 1 duck (3-4kg)
- 7-8 2 ducks (each 2-2.5kg)
- 9-10 2 ducks (3-4kg each) or 3 ducks (1.5kg each)
Do you have a lot of filling supplements? Then you can serve less meat. If you are preparing a multi-course menu, you can also count on less meat per person. 120-160g per person is enough to fill you up. If you only cook the main course without a starter and dessert, you can plan 230-250g of duck per portion.
More tips for the perfect duck
If you run out of fresh duck, you can still use the frozen version from the supermarket. We have already prepared instructions and the correct defrosting time for a duck for you.
Your duck is ready and smells wonderful? Perfect! Then it’s time to split up. We show you how to do this in our video instructions for carving ducks. It’s best to ask your guests who prefer brisket or drumsticks – that way everyone can find something to their liking.
