Welsh Poultry Centre

Free range Muscovy and Aylesbury type duck

The Muscovy or Barbary duck originated in South America and was a tree dwelling bird.  It is a different species to most other ducks which are derived from the wild mallard.  Here we rear Muscovy and Aylesbury type ducks for the table.  Both have good flavour but need to be dealt with quite differently in the kitchen.

The Aylesbury type duck has a good fat layer which makes this duck ideal for recipes that produce crispy duck skin.  The Muscovy duck is a much leaner duck with denser meat which means it goes further.  Typically a 3kg Muscovy duck would feed 4-6 people depending on appetites.  The lower fat levels on a Muscovy duck mean it can dry out, so it is important to keep the duck moist when cooking.  We recommend roasting the duck over a pan of water, all encased in tin foil.  This will steam and roast the duck at the same time keeping the meat succulent.  Drying the meat out will produce duck that is tough as old boots.

All our free-range ducks are hardy types enjoying the outdoor life here at Llwyncrychyddod.  You have to try them to taste the difference.