Duck Rillettes

Recipe View Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with two pieces of aluminum foil. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Make the spice rub: Stir kosher salt, pepper, and dried thyme together in a small bowl. Make the seasoning mix: Mix garlic, thyme sprigs, ginger, and bay leaves together in another bowl. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Season the duck all over, both inside and out, with about 2/3 of the spice rub. Fill the cavity with all of the seasoning mix. Place duck, breast-side up, into the prepared baking dish and season with remaining spice rub. Wrap duck tightly in aluminum foil. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Roast in the preheated oven until the meat pulls away from the bones, 5 to 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cool the duck with its accumulated juices, wrapped in aluminum foil, to room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours. (19 hours)

Recipe View Pick the meat from the bones and place it into a bowl. Discard the skin and bones. (30 minutes)

Recipe View Spoon all accumulated juices in the foil into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook until hot throughout, about 5 minutes. Strain the juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Let the fat and stock separate, then transfer the fat from the top to another bowl. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Mash the duck meat, 3 tablespoons duck fat, 2 tablespoons duck stock, butter, brandy, parsley, chives, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined. Transfer to a sealable container, press down, and drizzle a little duck fat over the top. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, more black pepper, and orange zest over the top. Seal the container and refrigerate for the flavors to blend, 1 to 3 days. (20 minutes)