Duck has in most cases been something you eat in a restaurant. I love duck, and I love serving it at home to family and guests. I hope that this two-step method of cooking cut-up duck pieces in a big skillet or casserole will make you comfortable with cooking duck at home. First you fry the duck by itself for about an hour, slowly; the skillet takes all the fat out of the bird and melts it into a frying medium which leaves the skin golden and crispy and the meat moist, flavorful, and, amazingly, not at all greasy. In the second stage, you build a small sauce and infuse the duck with its savor. I prefer cooking just the duck legs here, as I do for the guazzetto on page 154, as they require minimal trimming and the meat stays moist through the long cooking. If your supermarket doesn’t have duck legs, ask if they can order them; call a few specialty butchers or even a local restaurant provisioner if necessary. Duck legs are worth looking for, because they’re not only convenient and delicious but often less expensive than whole duck. If a whole duck is all you can get, though, it will work fine in this recipe. See below for a simple cutting-up procedure.
This classic carbonara traps crispy pancetta and all that silky sauce in big tubes of rigatoni.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Your new house dressing: creamy, herby, and dangerously dippable.
All the cozy vibes of the classic gooey-cheesy dish, made into a 20-minute meal.
This piquant French sauce comes together in the blender in just five minutes.
This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.
This flavorful fish stock is your secret weapon for bouillabaisse, shrimp risotto, clam chowder, and more.