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Run a search on the food network website for Alton Brown + Duck. He has a pretty good recipe that steams the duck first to render much of the fat and then finishes it in the oven to crisp it.

I saw the Alton Brown recipe and am leaning in that direction...but wanted to see if anyone else had something equally as good and simple!

This is a tough one to comment on as there are so many ways to go with it, but the iron-clad advice I would give is to serve the breasts in one meal done hot, fast and medium-rare, the legs/thighs/wings in another done slow, low and falling off the bone -- and make a quart of duck stock with the carcass.

This is from a good friend of mine in Texas who is a prolific hunter and I've enjoyed this at their house many times. Both as an appetizer standing around the kitchen having cocktails and as a delicious main course.

Season the pieces the same way you would the whole bird. Just put your seasonings in the sauce and cover.

Sherry Duck

1. 1 quart of dry sherry
2. ½ cup vegetable oil
3. 2 cups water
4. ¼ cup butter
5. 1 teaspoon cayene pepper
6. 2 teaspoons white pepper
7. 2 table spoons parsley flakes
8. 8 ounces onion juice
9. 8 wild ducks (preferrably on carcass and skinned)(DO NOT use diving ducks as they will be greasy and smell fishy)(Use “puddle ducks” – mallards, gadwalls, widgeons, teal) Can also use geese or venison.
10. 8 bay leaves
11. 2 large or 4 medium onions
12. Season salt to taste

Combine first eight ingredients in large sauce pan and heat. Insert one bay leaf and ¼ of onion into body cavity of each duck. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Place ducks breast down in roast pan and pour ½ of sauce pan ingredients over ducks. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until tender (about 2 hours.) Reheat remaining sherry sauce and pour over ducks and let stand in fridge overnight. Reheat 30 minutes and serve with wild rice.

You can pan fry/grill the duck breast. Score the skin first (a fine cross-hatch; most knives aren't sharp enough so I use a razor blade), cutting about half way through the skin; this will help render the fat out quickly so you get maximum crisped skin. Salt and pepper both sides (you can do this right before cooking or an hour ahead as a dry brine--if you salt ahead, pat the duck dry before frying), then fry skin side down at medium high heat for about 7 minutes (this will depend somewhat on the level of heat); flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes on the other side (for a juicy and pink inside medium rare). Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve whole or sliced crosswise against the grain. You can also cook the skin side down to render the fat out, then flip over onto a baking sheet and finish in the oven (preheated to 400degrees; roast for about 5 minutes).

Duck breast is great with polenta (both soft or baked/fried) or risotto on the side, or a leafy salad. I like it with seasoned simply with salt and pepper, but if you enjoy saucier or slightly sweet dishes, you could try a port-wine reduction sauce, or serve with poached pears, apricots or cherries.