How large of a duck should I order?

• You will want 1 to 1.5 lbs per person on average. Although this may sound like a lot, between the fat rendered and saved in a jar, the carcass used to create broth, and the water weight lost in cooking the actual amount of meat per person served at dinner will be much more reasonable.

What makes this product different?

• The nutritional value of your meat comes from the nutritional value of the animal’s diet, and the overall health of the animal. Studies have shown that having access to sunlight increases Vitamin D by as much as 4x in eggs. Putting eggs on pasture increases their access to a healthy varied diet and you see similar increases in vitamin and mineral content in eggs as a result. By freshly preparing our feeds from whole ingredients and using sprouting and fermentation processes we increase nutritional value of their food, and thus your food.
• I take humane treatment of animals to a new level. By focusing on the telos of the animal, and seeing what instinctual behaviors it wants to engage in I create an environment that leads to the most fulfillment for the animal. In the same way that getting into a “zone” or “flow” leads to great fulfillment in humans, hunting for insects, foraging for food, digging in the ground, bathing in water are things that bring joy to ducks. While the industry, which has made great strides, is focused on reducing stress I am focused on bringing well-being to their lives. This is why they have regular access to pools for bathing, live on pasture, and have such a great diet.
• In the same way that laying chickens that have better diets and better lives have more nutritional eggs with physical differences you can see (darker yolks, stronger egg shell) and taste much better as well.

How should I cook my duck

• You should actually treat your duck more like beef than chicken. It doesn’t have the usual safety concerns that chickens have, especially when raised in lower density rotational pasture settings. It is best served when cooked to 135 medium rare. Because the legs are smaller they will usually cook hotter, but you will often be okay with that because the higher fat content keeps that meat nice and juicy. Cooking the breast to 135 will give you an experience much closer to a fine steak than to chicken or turkey.
• Make sure to save and perhaps render your duck fat, and to also boil/reduce the carcass down to stock. Virtually any recipe that calls for water (mashed potatoes, rice, etc) can be made much tastier using stock instead. Duck fat brings absolutely exquisite flavor to many starches especially potatoes.