ESCAROLE WITH CONFIT DUCK GIZZARDS, COMTÉ, AND WALNUTS

Winemakers Alice and Olivier de Moor use confit duck gizzards in this simple winter salad, but confit duck legs make a fine substitute.

ROAST DUCK WITH PLUMS

SERVES 6 Ingredients 1 (5 1⁄2–6-lb.) Long Island or Pekin duck Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 medium yellow onions, cut into 1″ wedges 4 sprigs thyme 4 whole cloves 1 stick cinnamon 2 lb. ripe plums, halved and pitted Instructions Heat oven to 350°. Season duck generously with salt and…

DUCK RILLETTES

Duck legs are dry-brined and braised in an aromatic stock, then shredded and mixed with armagnac and spices and sealed into a serving dish with duck fat, making a delectable spread for a toasted baguette.

HUMMUS WITH PAN-SEARED DUCK, LEEKS, AND TAPENADE

Alon Shaya, chef at New Orleans’ Shaya, tops hummus with baroque toppings like fried eggplant, romanesco, and dates; here, he opts for serving the creamy spread with duck, leeks, and tapenade. For an extra-smooth hummus, Shaya peels the garbanzo beans after boiling them.

DAVID KINCH’S TATER TOTS

Using a traditional French confit method in which the potatoes are slow-cooked in duck fat, chef David Kinch, of Michelin-starred Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, CA, makes a particularly luxurious tot. Pair with duck, steak, or a dipping sauce, like aioli.

PORK AND DUCK SAUSAGE

Most sausage recipes call for a meat mixture that is about 30 percent fat—using too much can yield a link that is more greasy than luxurious. Here, Russell Moore of Camino in Oakland, California, combines pork belly with rich duck liver and skinless duck breast—fatty duck skin is too tough—for a perfectly tender sausage.

SKILLET-COOKED DUCK BREAST WITH BEETS AND WATERCRESS

The earthiness of beets pairs well with duck, which chef Gavin Kaysen likes to grill, but a skillet works just as well at home. The black rice is an incredible dish simply on its own.

ROAST DUCK WITH RUBY PORT AND FIGS

Rich, fatty duck gets a double dose of sweetness from port wine and jammy figs.

DOMINIQUE ANSEL’S CASSOULET

Made with confit duck legs, pork belly, and two kinds of sausage, this meaty, resplendently rich cassoulet from New York chef Dominique Ansel is worth treasuring all winter. To make the work manageable, divide the cooking over several days to allow time for the duck to confit and the beans and sauce to properly cook and reduce.

DUCK AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

For his take on Cajun gumbo, chef Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans uses rendered duck fat in the roux instead of butter and quartered ducks in lieu of the classic chicken. In this recipe, we’ve called for only duck legs, which stay tender during a low-and-slow cooking process and won’t run the risk of drying out like breast meat.

DUCK PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE

Pâté is a labor of love, but it’s worth every step, especially when you bake it in flaky homemade pastry dough and top it with a flavorful gelée. Here, being careful to keep the ingredients cold during the process, and taking the same care when folding and filling the dough, yields a pâté that everyone will write home about.

DUCK BORSCHT WITH FERMENTED TOMATO SAUCE

Though borscht is typically thought of as a beet soup, Olia Hercules’ take includes whole duck in a fragrant broth with red pepper, beet greens, and cabbage. A fizzy, fermented tomato sauce, which Hercules uses as a substitute for fresh tomatoes in winter, gets stirred in at the end, brightening and lightening up the meat-rich stew. Use the fizzy tomatoes during the winter almost anywhere you’d use fresh: stirred into soups, in salsa, or as a condiment for roasted meats.