Deep Fried Duck Necks Are Delicious

I buy ducks from the Asian market down the street. This is not only the most economical choice, but also the most interesting option. These ducks come with the head and neck attached and the neck is a real treat .

If, like me, you’re in the habit of buying really whole ducks, I urge—no, I beg—keep the neck, then chop it into small pieces and deep-fry it. I’m not the first to come up with or suggest this, apparently since duck necks are common in Asian cuisine. But white Americans who eat duck tend to focus too much on their chests and legs.

There is not a ton of meat on a duck neck, but the same can be said about chicken wings. Scraping meat off the bone with your teeth is an intuitive, delightful activity that can be achieved with duck necks with little effort on your part.

Many duck neck recipes call for blanching the necks, but I have not done this. I thawed two necks that had been hanging in my freezer for two years and separated them from the head. You may need to do a little peeling and cut off some skin and connective tissue to free the neck; just be patient and go slowly. Cut off the head at the base of the skull, then cut the neck into five pieces. That’s all. That’s all the preparation I did.

Once you have the neck pieces, all you have to do is fry them. Pour a couple inches of neutral oil into a cast iron skillet or broiler and heat anywhere between 350℉-375℉. Add the necks to the hot oil and fry for a few minutes on each side. The necks will splatter and splatter, so don’t stand too close at the start. The splatter will subside as the water evaporates, which means your necks are almost done.

Once the necks are golden brown, remove them from the oil and season with any dry seasoning mix you like. I added Lowry to my garlic salt and it was great, but experiment with different spices. Roasted duck necks are crispy, savory and slightly chewy. In short, this is a fun appetizer made with just a few ingredients, one of which you might be tempted to throw away. Don’t throw away your duck necks. Roast them. Then chew on them. Gnawing is underrated.