I don't recall when I first ate duck. I know it was a roasted duck, but I don't remember any of the details of its preparation. I was probably 13 or 14 and far too distracted with adolescence to pay attention to what my mother was experimenting with this time. However, I clearly remember loving its rich flavor and wonderful fattiness. I also recall the potatoes roasted in the duck fat in the roasting pan.
Never, never, never throw out duck fat (unless you've burned it). It is a precious commodity to be kept cosseted and protected in your freezer for special dishes.
Now that I'm focusing, I can say duck beats chicken and turkey hands down. Those two birds can't come close to the savory satisfaction of duck (or goose, for that matter). Chickens and turkeys have been the subject of intense, profit-driven breeding programs resulting in pure white breasts so large the animals can barely walk — and furthermore, they have no flavor. With duck, the breasts are much more in proportion to the bird's overall size. And the breasts are dark meat to boot; that means a duck breast is as flavorful as its leg.
This is not to say that ducks aren't bred. The most popular commercial breed is Pekin duck (also known as Long Island duck in this country). Don't confuse the Pekin duck breed with the Peking duck dish. Although the latter is generally made using the former, other duck breeds also work in the dish, which is essentially a Chinese duck crepe recipe — justifiably famous when well made.
The Pekin/Long Island breed originated in China and is a descendant, as most domestic species are, of a mallard. They are tidy, well-proportioned animals weighing 5 to 8 pounds with a rich but not gamey flavor.
Muscovy, the other notable domesticated species and one that originated in the New World, isn't a mallard. It's nowhere near as appealing in appearance and is somewhat larger with a naturally heavier breast than the Pekin duck. It is also less fatty. Raised domestically, it too has a rich, ungamey flavor.
Muscovy and Pekin ducks are often crossbred, which results in a sterile bird called a moulard. This crossbreed is reportedly sturdier and more laid-back (domesticated) than either of its parents and is often used to produce foie gras. Which brings us to magret, the breast of any duck that has been deliberately fattened to produce foie gras. This isn't a different species, just a different name.
Foie gras — literally, "fat liver" — is made from duck or goose livers (not chicken or turkey) because the birds are waterfowl and so are geared toward producing fat to insulate them from the chilling effects of water. (In the wild, the fat stored in the liver is used to fuel the animals' migration.) Consequently, duck and goose are justifiably famous for being fatty birds and have livers that can be almost buttery in flavor and texture.
Since my first taste, some 40 years ago, of potatoes roasted in duck fat, I've roasted rutabaga and cauliflower (and almost every other vegetable) in duck fat. I've also smeared the fat on bread to make a completely over-the-top grilled cheese sandwich. Try adding it instead of butter to mashed potatoes with a healthy spoonful of fresh horseradish. Duck fat is mostly monosaturated fat, making it less unhealthful than pork or beef fat. Chefs consider it the queen of fats to pork's regency as king.
Never, never, never throw out duck fat (unless you've burned it). It is a precious commodity to be kept cosseted and protected in your freezer for special dishes. A few weeks ago, I made Maine fries in duck fat with some shredded duck. With a beer, that was my supper, and it was among the best I've ever made or eaten.
I can usually find whole ducks at the supermarket (and I have a local source of farm-raised birds), but typically I buy duck breasts at my local upscale grocery and pan-roast them. When I want legs for a dish, I buy a whole bird and cut it up, freezing the breasts. You can also order breasts, legs, confit and fat from various online sources.
I've come a long way from that first pubescent taste of quacking fowl, but I still like it best cooked and served fairly simply. The fact is the bird is so good on its own that little gilding is needed. And crisp duck skin is manna from heaven.
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