How come you can cook duck meat rare but you must cook chicken well done?!
How come you can cook duck meat rare but you must cook chicken well done?
Aren't they both birds?
Answers:
I am a former chef and have had this question asked of me many times, true over cooked duck breast can be chewy, but all the ducks in Chinatowns BBQ places are well done, they marinate and air dry them before roasting them and then a short trip to the fryer for Peking duck.
Duck breast being a darker meat than chicken breast, is much more tasty if a bit on the rare side, chicken is very chewy undercooked, duck legs used for confit or stews are always cooked will to almost overcooked as they like chicken legs have alot more connective tissue.
Duck does not contract salmonella as chicken, and you will not get sick or poisined if you happen to eat some uncooked chicken, but most people are squimish to it not fully cooked, unlike pork that used to be the same, breeding and sanitary conditions have changed that from happening now.