Duck

Khansland Duck is traditionally raised Bangladeshi hash — mallard and domestic duck varieties kept in open farmyard conditions with access to natural water sources, ponds, and streams that allow normal aquatic behaviour and result in the development of the rich, deeply flavoured, characteristic dark meat that makes duck one of the most prized special-occasion meats in Bengali cuisine.

Duck meat is fundamentally different from chicken in almost every culinary dimension. The flesh is dark throughout, reflecting the higher myoglobin content of muscles used for swimming and sustained flight. The fat content is higher, particularly in the skin and subcutaneous layer, and this fat has a distinctive flavour from the duck's natural diet and exercise that enriches every preparation.

The most important Bangladeshi duck preparation is hash bhuna — a slow-cooked, intensely spiced dry preparation where the duck is first marinated in onion, ginger, garlic, and whole spices, then cooked in mustard oil over low heat for two to three hours until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and the fat has rendered out to create an intensely flavoured, sticky, aromatic sauce. The high fat content of duck is what makes this preparation possible — the fat provides the continuous basting medium that prevents the meat from drying out during the long cooking period.