Prepare your duck

• If you have purchased duck leg quarters and duck breasts separately, you may skip to Step 1 below. If you have a whole duck, read on!
• Do not be afraid! It is easy to break down a duck, and this video can show you how. 
• Remove the neck and any organs from the cavity of the duck, and cut away the large flap of fat at the base of the body. Use a sharp, flexible fillet knife to separate the leg quarters from the body of the duck, then carefully follow the contour of the breasts to separate each.
• You can use the remaining parts for duck stock; you can render the fat to use in other dishes in the future (like this or this).
  

Duck Leg Confit

Step 1

• Mix the salt, pepper, thyme, orange zest, orange peel, and shallots into a paste, using a small food processor or a mortar and pestle.
  
• 
• Rub the paste over the duck legs, transfer to a small, nonreactive baking dish (the duck legs should fit very snugly), and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
  

Step 2

• Heat oven to 225°F (105°C). Brush off the cure from the duck legs, rinse well in cold water, and dry well with paper towels. Return to the small baking dish, and cover completely with duck fat.
• Cover the dish with a lid or heavy-duty foil, and bake for 5-7 hours, or until the meat is beginning to separate from the bone and offers no resistance when probed with a fork.
  

Step 3

• To complete your dish another day, allow the legs to cool in the fat, cover tightly, and refrigerate. As long as your duck legs are fully covered in fat, they will keep this way for about a month. You can pick up the dish at the next step when ready to proceed.

Step 4

• Drain your duck legs of the fat by placing over an oven-safe wire rack over a sheet pan, and allow the remaining fat to drip off.
• Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C), using the convection bake (not roast) setting if you have one. Place your duck legs skin-side up on a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan and roast for 15-25 minutes, rotating as needed, until golden brown.

Duck Breasts

Step 1

• Score your duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern, and set in a Ziploc bag.
  
• Add the orange zest, juice, ponzu, marmalade, and brown sugar to the container of a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix) and blend until smooth. You can skip this step if you don’t mind not having a smooth sauce.
  

Step 2

• Add the marinade to the Ziploc bag, making sure to coat the duck well. Squeeze excess air out of the bag and marinate for 8-12 hours.

Step 3

• Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, and set aside.

  Remove the duck breasts, and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place skin-side down, in a cold, cast-iron skillet, and cook on medium-low heat, rotating occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown.
  
• Turn the duck skin-side up, cover, and cook until rare, 3-5 minutes (the meat will register about 125°F, or 52°C). Remove the duck from the pan and allow it to rest while you prepare the sauce.

To serve:

• Prepare the sauce. Place the marinade over medium-high heat, and reduce until thickened.
  
• Place one roasted duck leg on each plate. Slice the warm, rested duck breasts, and plate next to the legs. Drizzle the warm sauce over both portions.