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2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

2 cups orange juice

Heat a medium oven casserole or a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add the duck pieces, working in stages if you need to. Brown on all sides until crisp and most of the fat has been rendered, about 20 minutes, turning frequently. Transfer the pieces to a plate.

Brown the neck, heart, and gizzard in the pot as well; they will be added to the braise for flavor but discarded when the duck is served. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Transfer the neck and giblets to a plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat in the pot. Return it to medium heat and add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, just until tender, about 2 minutes.

Add the vermouth; bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Simmer until the vermouth has been reduced by half.

Stir in the orange juice, then return the duck and all its parts to the pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Cook until tender and the liquid has been reduced to a glaze, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F (our preference) or 180°F (the USDA recommendation), 1¼ to 1¾ hours. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes; remove and discard the neck and giblets before serving.

Variations: Substitute cranberry juice for the orange juice.

Add one 4-inch cinnamon stick, 6 whole cloves, or 1 star anise pod to the pot with the orange juice. Remove before serving.

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Shopping Tips for Duck

The ideal duck should be between 8 and 16 weeks of age, marked as a “broiler duckling” or “fryer duckling.” As in chickens, a “roaster duckling” is larger, older, and sometimes tougher.

Because of the relatively large chest cavity and higher bone-to-meat ratio, a 5-to 6-pound duck will not serve as many people as a chicken of the same weight. If you have six big eaters or a dinner party for eight, consider doubling the recipe.

There are almost no fresh ducks available in our markets; even those marked “fresh” have most likely been previously frozen (they were fresh when slaughtered). Our best advice: know your supplier.

A thawed duck can be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 2 days with the giblets and neck removed and stored separately. A frozen duck should take about 1½ days to thaw in the refrigerator.

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Seared Duck Breasts with Peaches and Thyme

Duck breasts make a surprisingly simple dinner. Reduce the fat considerably by placing them in a cool pan and slowly heating them until most of the fat renders off. Makes 4 servings

4 medium boneless duck breast fillets (8 to 10 ounces each)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1 tablespoon stemmed thyme

Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the breasts skin side down on a cutting board and trim off all excess skin that hangs over the sides. Turn the breasts over; make three parallel diagonal cuts in the skin of each, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Make three more diagonal cuts the other way, thereby making a crosshatch pattern in the skin.

Place the breasts skin side down in a large, cool, oven-safe skillet. Set the skillet over medium-low heat and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.

Pour off all the rendered fat in the pan, turn the breasts skin side up, place the skillet in the oven, and roast until a meat thermometer inserted halfway into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F (our preference) or 170°F (the USDA recommendation for duck breast), 12 to 17 minutes (see Note). Transfer the breasts to a plate, season with salt and pepper, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

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