BREAK IT DOWN

When it comes to any bird, I like to use as much of the meat as I possibly can. This method of breaking the bird down will work for ducks, swans, pheasants, turkeys – pretty much all larger game birds.

Start with the legs. Press on the gap between the legs and breast and slice down that gap through the skin, cutting down until you reach the joint. As you slice, arc the knife under the thigh to get all the meat off the thigh. Snap the leg backwards to pop the socket and voila – you have a leg!

Wings are next. Look for the dark line where the breast ends, this is where to make your cut in a parallel slice all the way to the wing joint. Slide your knife along the saber bone, the long curved bone along the back, to the joint. Remove the wing by cutting a little extra skin from the neck area.

Lastly, the breasts. If you take the breasts off in one piece, it wastes less skin, which in cooking, can protect the meat from drying out. Make a cut along the fatty pad on the side of the bird and slide your knife along the fat line to the tail, making sure you get all the meat along the breast plate. Once the back of the breast is free, run your knife along the bone at the neck end then along the wishbone up towards the keel bone. Think of it as freeing the meat rather than cutting or slicing it and work your knife carefully to get all the meat you can. Repeat on the other side, then gently cut away the attachments along the top of the keel. The tenders will still be attached at this point, and you can remove these if you want to sear or panfry the breast. You can still use these and the rest of the carcass to make amazing stocks and soups!