Improvising Duck Dishes

Once you know the basic methods of cooking duck—sautéing and grilling of breasts, braising and confit of legs—almost any classic French duck dish is simply a variation on a theme. Many classic dishes—caneton aux navets (Duck with Turnips), caneton aux olives (Duck with Olives), caneton aux petits pois (Duck with Baby Peas), and caneton aux cerises (Duck with Cherries) are virtually the same except for the addition of a fruit or vegetable to the basic sauce (the sauce without the orange) or to the garniture surrounding the duck.