Duck can be intimidating.

A lot of people like it for dinner, and will order it in restaurants, but are afraid to prepare the bird at home.

Then there's the fat issue. A duck breast has that thick layer visible when you buy it. But strip it off (very easy), and grill the meat to rare to keep it moist and tender, and a 4-oz (115-g) portion sports just 230 calories, and 13 g fat.

Then there are all those "spinoff" duck products -- the confits and pates de foie gras and so forth -- that are a pain to prepare yourself.

It doesn't have to be that way.

The folks at Brome Lake Ducks, in Quebec's Eastern Townships, have been raising and selling ducks and duck products for almost a century, and in the last few years have begun expanding their market across Canada.

This weekend, you can taste a full range of Brome Lake Ducks offerings at full-day cooking demonstrations at area Denninger's stores. There's stuff you have to roast or grill yourself or creations that merely require the twist of a lid to enjoy.

The demonstrations take place today at the Guelph Line, Burlington, store from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., tomorrow at the main King Street East location in Hamilton, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Upper James outlet.