Deluxe duck in restaurants and at home

"The Muscovy is a very calm bird. You go out there and you have to step over them," Brabyn said. "They don't run away and they don't quack. They're mute."

Local chefs using the Salmon Creek Ranch duck include Jonathan Mortimer of Alexander's at Timber Cove Inn and Bruce Frieseke of the Applewood Inn.

"The larger duck breast is meatier and the flavor has so much depth," Frieseke said. "The Muscovy duck breasts are less fatty - the layer of fat under the skin is thinner."

Because it's so lean, Frieske seasons the duck breasts with seasoning salt and cooks them skin side down in a cast-iron frying pan over a very low heat, for about 20 minutes. Then, he turns up the heat and quickly sears the flesh side.

"If you overcook it or cook it too quickly, it will seize up," he said.

Since it's a small operation, Salmon Creek only harvests about 200 ducks a month. Brabyn drives them to Stockton in custom cages to be processed into whole duck, duck quarters and boneless breasts.

"Our philosophy is that we want to give them the best life we can, and then they have one bad day," she said. "The animals grow better, and it works."

The ranch also keeps a flock of 200 Khaki Campbell ducks for egg production. The organic Salmon Creek Ranch duck eggs are in demand by bakers, people who are allergic to chicken eggs and pregnant women who need to boost their iron.

"They have twice the amount of iron and 9 grams of protein versus 6.5 grams from hen's eggs," Brabyn said. "We ship them all over."

Responding to public demand, the ranch also sells rendered and filtered duck fat in 8-, 16- and 32-ounce jars.

"A lot of the chefs like it for doing French fries and vegetables," Brabyn said. "We bring it to the farmers market, and Whole Foods has it as well."

The duck meat itself provides a good source of iron, protein, niacin and selenium. If you're worried about fat intake, nutritionists suggest eating the leaner duck leg meat or taking the skin off the duck breast before cooking.

For ordering information and more recipes, go to libertyducks.com or salmondcreekranch.com. Salmon Creek Ranch is open by appointment only.

This recipe is from chef Thomas Halligan of Bistro Des Copains. You can order the red rice from the Camargue at levillage.com, or just substitute wild rice.

Liberty Farm Duck Breast a L'Orange with

Riz de Camargue

Makes 4 servings

For duck and marinade

4sides duck breast

1cloves garlic, minced

1shallot, sliced

6sprigs thyme

6sprigs parsley

1juniper berries, crushed

6whole peppercorns

1tablespoon rice oil

For sauce

1shallot, minced fine

1tablespoon rice oil

2tablespoons Grand Marnier

?cup white wine

1orange, zested and juiced

1cup chicken stock

1cup beef stock

1herb sachet (1 bay leaf, 4 sprigs thume, 2 sprigs parsley, 4 peppercorns, wrapped in cheesecloth)

1tablespoon cold butter

-Salt to taste

For red rice

6ounces red rice from Camargue

1shallot, minced

1clove garlic, minced

1tablespoons rice oil

2cups chicken stock (or water or vegetable stock)

1bag leaf

6sprigs thyme, tied together with string

1tablespoon kosher salt

For duck: Trim duck breast of tender and any sinew on the meat side. Trim fat around the duck to be even with the edges of the breast. Turn the breast meat-side down and with sharp knife run lightly over the skin and fat to cut three-quarters of the way into the fat. Score every third of an inch across the breast to make a diamond pattern. (Do not cut into the meat.) Mix marinade and coat duck breast evenly. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

For sauce: Sweat shallots in a non-reactive pan with oil until translucent, but with no color. Add in sachet and white wine and Grand Marnier. Reduce by half and add orange juice. Reduce by half. Next add in the chicken and beef stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and reduce until half or one-third of the liquid remains. Once sauce starts to coat a spoon slightly, take off heat and strain through a fine-meshed strainer into another pot. Add in orange zest and finish with butter. Season to taste with salt. (Note: If using store-bought stocks, you may not need more salt at the end, or may not want to reduce any more than by half.)

For red rice: In a thick bottomed pan, sweat shallots, garlic, bay leaf and thyme in rice oil until shallots are wilted. Add in red rice and salt and toast quickly for one minute. Add in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer with a lid for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

To assemble: Remove duck from marinade and wipe off excess. In a large saute pan, heat on medium until warm. Season duck breast with kosher salt on both sides lightly. Arrange in pan, skin side down, and increase heat for 2 minutes. Once the duck skin has started to render and oil has started to accumulate in pan, turn down heat to medium low and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Place lid over pan and pour out the grease. Remove lid and make sure duck is still skin side down. The skin should be lightly browned. Repeat this process one more time. After discarding grease for the second time, rearrange once again and let render for 2 more minutes. There should be a little grease in the pan. Turn duck breast over and sear on the meat side for about 3 minutes. Then sear along the thicker side of the duck breast for 3 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to rest for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing.

While the duck is resting, reheat the red rice, sauce and your favorite seasonal vegetables, such as baby carrots and turnips glazed with butter and herbs. Arrange a long pile of red rice on a warm plate. Slice duck breast into 8 slices and arrange over the rice. Pour sauce around the rice and place the vegetables around the plate. Season the duck breast with Maldon salt to finish.

This recipe for duck confit - duck legs cooked gently in a slow cooker - is from chef Bruce Riezenman of Park Avenue Catering. When he's making this at home, he orders his duck from Sonoma-Artisan Foie Gras (artisanfoiegras.com), which also sells breasts, legs, duck fat, confit and duck rillettes.

Duck confit is "preserved" by salting it and storing it covered in its own rendered fat, which you discard as you re-warm or crisp it. You can use duck confit in salads, pastas, soups and raviolis.

Crockpot Duck Confit

2 teaspoons juniper berries

1 tablespoon bay leaf, crushed

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons thyme

2 teaspoons black pepper, ground

2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence

2 tablespoons oregano

12 duck legs

Combine herbs and salt and grind together. Toss the legs with the salt rub. Place in a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Rinse the legs to remove the excess salt and pat dry. Place legs in a slow cooker, packed tightly. Pour in ? cup of water and turn on to low setting. Cover and let cook on low for 8 hours. By the time it is done, the legs will be simmering, covered in the rendered duck fat.

Turn off the slow cooker and gently remove each leg with a slotted spoon, being careful not to break the skin. Place all legs in a glass baking dish in one layer, then pour the rendered fat over the legs. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until you are ready to use.

To use the confit, remove one leg at a time and carefully wipe off as much of the fat as you can. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven to render off the rest of the fat and to crisp the skin. This will take 20 to 30 minutes.

If you just want to eat the meat (and not the skin), render it in the oven for just 10 minutes and then remove the skin and bones.

You can reach Staff Writer Diane Peterson at 521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com