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1
Rinse the duck, pat dry, and remove the thighs and legs (see Know-how, page 157).
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2
Remove the meat from the breast by cutting down the center and along the rib cage on each side of the breastbone with a sharp knife.
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3
Discard the carcass or reserve for broth.
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4
Trim the excess fat from the legs and breast.
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5
Score the skin on the legs and breast with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut through to the meat.
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6
Place the legs and breasts in a dish and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chopped rosemary, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the thyme.
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7
Combine the red wine, vinegar, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme in a shallow dish and stir to mix.
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8
Pour the mixture over the duck and turn several times to coat on both sides with the marinade.
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9
Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
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10
To cook the legs, preheat the oven to 325F.
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11
Heat a dry cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat to just before the smoking point (see Know-how).
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12
Remove the duck legs from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and saute them, skin side down to start, for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
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13
Transfer to a plate and set aside.
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14
Add the carrots and shallots to the same skillet with the duck fat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are light brown around the edges.
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15
Add the garlic and cook and stir for 1 minute longer.
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16
Set the duck legs, skin side up, on top of the vegetables in the same skillet and add 1/2 cup of the marinade and 1 cup of the broth, enough to submerge the legs about three-quarters of the way up, adding more broth if needed; the top part of the skin should not be covered.
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17
Add the bay leaves, cover, and roast in the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the legs are fork-tender (see Know-how, page 172).
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18
Remove from the oven and skim the fat from the top of the liquid.
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19
To cook the breast, heat a separate dry cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat to just before the smoking point.
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20
Season the breast with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute, skin side down, until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.
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21
Flip the breast, pour off some of the fat if necessary, and continue to cook for another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness.
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22
Remove from the skillet and let rest, loosely covered, for about 5 minutes before slicing.
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23
To serve, place a few slices of breast, a leg or thigh, and vegetables on each plate.
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24
Spoon the cooking liquid over and around the duck and vegetables and serve warm.
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25
We often make two meals out of this dish by cooking the breast one night and letting the legs marinate overnight or for several days before cooking.
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26
Or, do all your cooking at one time, eat the breast the first night, and reheat the legs the next night.
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27
Nine times out of ten, when a recipe calls for alcohol, the alcohol is there to add extra flavorso omitting it will change the flavor profile slightly, but it certainly wont make or break the dish.
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28
If you prefer not to use alcohol in your cooking, try compensating by adding a splash of fruit juice, balsamic or white wine vinegar, or vegetable or chicken broth instead.
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29
For sweets, you can use flavorings like pure vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, orange zest and juice, or strongly brewed coffee, depending on what will complement the other flavors in the dessert.
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30
The bottom line: dont stress, and have fun coming up with alternative seasonings.
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31
Whenever a recipe calls for heating an unoiled skillet or pan to just before the smoking point, place the skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, just until you see the first small wisps of smoke starting to curl off the surface.
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32
Cast iron works best for this level of heat.
