Press release: Tuesday, 5 February 2013

As Chinese comes out on top as favourite cooking style for duck, the RSPCA and celebrity chef Ching-He Huang asks people to consider animal welfare this Chinese New Year.

New research* shows that duck is a dish of choice at Chinese New Year with well over half of respondents who eat duck (61%) saying that Chinese is their favourite cooking style for duck and over a fifth (21%) saying if they celebrated Chinese New Year, they would have duck.

The RSPCA is calling on food lovers to think about the duck meat they buy. And as the year of the snake begins on 10 February 2013, Tesco supermarket have announced that they will be introducing an RSPCA Freedom Food labelled whole duck to their shelves this month, making it easier for shoppers to choose a higher welfare product.

Tesco now join Sainsbury’s in giving their customers a Freedom Food option when they are buying duck meat.

Eloise Shavelar, RSPCA said “Millions of ducks are farmed for meat in the UK each year, yet despite being waterfowl, there is no legal requirement to provide them with full body access to water.

“The RSPCA believes this is unacceptable and ducks reared under the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme must have access to bathing water.”

Duck meat is enjoyed both at home (17%) and when eating out (27%) and the RSPCA is working with leading celebrity chef Ching-He Huang to inspire people to opt for a higher welfare duck meat product and to try and cook it new ways.

Ching said “My mission is to de-mystify Asian cooking and inspire people to think both about how and what they eat.”

“Please get behind the RSPCA and support this cause, look for the Freedom Food label when you buy your duck meat because increased welfare standards for our animals can only be better for the well-being and health of everyone and our planet.”

The RSPCA’s Like A Duck To Water campaign, launched in September 2012, has already generated support from over 20,000 members of the public concerned about the welfare of farmed ducks.

The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) is also supporting the campaign. Tom Tanner of SRA said “Currently, there are not plentiful supplies of higher welfare duck meat available for the hospitality sector. We will be working alongside the RSPCA to boost supplies and match them with restaurants keen to serve their customers higher welfare duck.”

Shoppers can make sure they are buying higher welfare meat by looking for the blue and white Freedom Food logo. All Sainsbury’s own-label duck meat is Freedom Food labelled and during February Tesco will be introducing a Freedom Food whole duck in store. M&S own-label duck meat is also from farms that provide full body access to water.

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Notes to editors

* The RSPCA commissioned a YouGov Survey to look at people’s attitudes to duck meat. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2376 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st - 23rd January 2013. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

• Defra figures show that in 2011 14.7 million ducks were farmed for meat in the UK.

• The RSPCA defines bathing water as an open water source that allows full body access for the ducks.

• One of Ching-He Huang’s recipes is below. More recipes, food images and the RSPCA Freedom Food logo is available from the national press office on 0300 123 0244/0288. Recipe copyright and images belong to www.chinghehuang.com.

• For more information about the RSPCA’s ‘Like a duck to water’ campaign visit: http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/farm/ducks

Recipe copyright and images belong to www.chinghehuang.com

SHREDDED DUCK & CUCUMBER LETTUCE ‘WRAPS’

Celebrate Chinese New Year with this easy entertaining appetiser dish to share with your family and friends. Duck legs are cheaper than buying a whole duck so you can get the home made Chinese roast duck with minimum fuss and effort.

This recipe is super easy – marinade the duck legs with Chinese seasonings and roast in a hot oven. Shred the meat and serve in lettuce gem ‘wrap’ leaves, garnish with cucumber slices and a small dollop of shop bought hoisin sauce. Happy Chinese New Year!

SERVES 4 (Makes about 12)

PREP TIME: 11 MINUTES
MARINADE TIME: 60 MINTUES
COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES

Ingredients: (462g) 2 Freedom Food duck legs with
the skin on

For the Marinade:
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon Shaosing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
2 tablespoon runny honey
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chilli sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 pinch of sea salt

To Serve: 2 heads of lettuce gem leaves, leaves
separated & washed

Garnish: Sliced spring onions, very thin long strips, soaked in ice water to curl up
Cucumber slices, half moon, thinly sliced

Serve with: 3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce in a small bowl with serving spoon

Method:

1. Place the duck legs in a zip lock bag, add all the marinade ingredients. Marinade for at least one hour in the fridge.

2. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place duck legs (include the marinade) round side up on a roasting tray lined with kitchen paper. Roast for 40 minutes, then turn heat up to 220 degrees, cook the duck legs for a further 10 minutes to cook medium to well done.

3. Remove and rest the duck for 5 minutes. Once rested, shred the duck legs and place on a serving board.

4. Place the lettuce gem leaves, cucumber slices and spring onion curls in small serving dishes. Pour some hoisin sauce in dipping bowls with small serving spoons.

5. To serve, let your guests make each one themselves by placing some shredded duck onto a lettuce “wrap” garnishing with a slice of cucumber, spring onion curl, finally get them to spoon the hoisin sauce onto each ‘wrap’ (seasoning to their taste!).