Duck is not always the easiest bird to cook.
For my money the breast is at its best when a little under cooked and pink, the leg, on the other hand I prefer to cook to melting tenderness.

When I was in the restaurant I used to cook them separately, the leg long slow cooked en confit the breast cooked to order rather as one would a steak, to be served rare or well done according to taste.
Confit of Duck was the French housewife’s solution to the rearing of duck in flocks (usually for their fattened livers)
These duck came to maturity together so they needed so method of conserving the meat for leaner days in days before the freezer.
Duck conserved properly in its own fat will last in a cool place for many months.
You may find the amount of fat used in this dish frightening but be assured.
Most of the fat can be drained off to be used again.

I decided to revisit this method recently to adapt it to use at home.
To feed four people twice you just need to buy two ducks at a time.

The sauce with the duck breast is a more modern one, the rich meat is an excellent foil for the spiciness of the ginger as well as the honey and orange.

As you can now often buy duck already jointed as breast or Magret and leg you can of course buy it like that or either joint it out yourself (or get your butcher to do it)
and in that way you will have the carcase which makes excellent stock.

Confit of Duck Legs

4 Duck legs (thighs and drumsticks)
1 Tablespoon Salt
Several turnings of the pepper mill
3 Sprigs of Thyme
3 Bay Leaves
1 kg of Duck Fat (or Lard)

Rub the duck legs with the salt and pepper, the thyme and bay leaves and leave in a cool place for about 12 hours.

Set the oven to 150 C, 300 F, Gas 2.

After this time wipe the legs down with kitchen paper.
Fry them in a little of the fat until browned and crisp.
Put them into a small roasting tin or casserole.
Melt the duck fat and pour over the legs.
They should be just covered.
(If necessary you can top up with a little water or wine)

Cover the casserole with its lid or the tin with tinfoil and cook in the preheated oven
For two hours.The meat should be extremely tender.

(You can conserve the duck in its fat in the fridge for several months.)

To serve the confit soften the fat to take out the legs and then fry in some of the duck fat until the skin is crisp and the meat hot.

The same duck fat can be used several times to make a confit.

Duck Breasts with Honey and Ginger


(for 4)

4 Duck Breasts
2 Thumbs of Root Ginger
1 Large Orange
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Glass Red Wine

Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6

With the point of a sharp knife cut a criss cross pattern on the duck skin.
(This releases the duck fat during cooking)

Peel and grate the ginger, grate the zest from the orange and mix these with the orange juice, the red wine and the honey.

Fry the duck breasts, skin side down , in a hot pan until they brown and crisp.(about 8 minutes)

Pour away (but keep for cooking) the fat from the pan.

Pour the ginger and honey and wine mixture into a small roasting tin or open casserole and put the duck breasts into this .
Make sure that the duck skin is above the level of the liquid, (if necessary keep some aside)

Braise the breasts in the oven at the set temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes.
(Depending on how well you want the duck cooked)
The skin should remain crisp, the flesh cooking in the liquid.


Remove the breasts from the pan and put them somewhere warm to rest.

Tip the liquid from the pan into a pot and boil hard for a few minutes to concentrate.

Carve the duck breasts and pour over this sauce to serve.