While duck is poultry, it is very different from chicken and turkey because it's a red meat. This means that a well-prepared duck breast eats more like steak than chicken and that is a good thing. Different from other red meats, however, duck is very lean and low in saturated fat. We have some of the tastiest and easiest to prepare duck products around.

Duck legs have a huge amount of flavor and take very kindly to slow gentle cooking until the flesh falls from the bones. Maple Leaf Farms in Milford, Indiana makes a White Pekin Duck Leg Confit (duck cooked in its own fat and juices) that will blow your mind. It is almost too good to describe. But I will, in one word - succulent. Pre-cooked and flash frozen, all you have to do is open the package and heat. The duck legs are beautifully crispy and juicy. We serve them as an entrée with lentils or wild rice. Or shred the meat for superb duck tacos or salads.

Duck breasts are delicately rich in flavor, but "steaky" in texture. Nueske's, of Wittenberg, Wisconsin adds character to the elegant entrée by leisurely smoking plump, hand-selected duck breasts over glowing Applewood embers. The result is melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a sweet-smoky flavor that is extremely satisfying. The breasts are fully cooked, ready to warm and serve. They're low in salt, with no added water and are individually packed. We slice them very thinly and use them in salads, appetizers and Sandra's special duck breast sandwich with smoked baby swiss and Honeycup Mustard.

Duck Rillettes (ree-YEHT) is a rustic French appetizer. Traditionally made by pounding confit of pork, goose, or (in this case) duck and duck fat into a silky paste and covered with a thin layer of duck fat and served with bread or toast. Oh my!

Orange Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. grated orange zest
• dash black pepper

1. Use a small amount of orange juice to dissolve cornstarch. Add dissolved cornstarch to remaining juice; place into saucepan.

Duck Salad

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 4 (4oz. each) Maple Leaf Farms Duck Confit
• 8 cups mixed greens
• 2 cups strawberries, halved
• 2 cups orange sections
• 16 walnut halves (optional)

1. Prepare Duck Leg Confit according to directions on package.
2. Let duck breast set for 5 minutes before shredding.
3. Toss greens with strawberries and oranges. Add orange vinaigrette; toss. Divide among 4 plates.
4. Top salads with sliced duck breasts. Garnish with walnuts.