Physico chemical and organoleptic characteristics of Muscovy drake meat as influenced by cooking methods

The study was conducted to determine the effect of various cooking methods - grilling, deep frying, pan frying and roasting on quality attributes of Muscovy drake meat. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) Muscovy drakes fillets weighing between 118-130 g were used in a completely randomized design. Cooked samples were analyzed for proximate composition and physical characteristics. Organoleptic characteristics were evaluated using a nine-point hedonic scale. Deep fried meat samples had the highest (P 0.05). The moisture content varied from 71.64% in the raw meat to 35.57% in deep fried fillets. Protein and ash content increased across the treatments after cooking. Pan fried (13.95%) and roasted duck fillets (13.92%) had higher fat than the raw sample (12.92%). Except for colour, other organoleptic parameters were not affected significantly. The use of deep frying method should be minimized since it resulted into meat with the least nutrient composition. Key words: Muscovy drake, cooking method, organoleptic characteristics, physical attribute.