L. adores duck and I quite like it, while preferring the rendered fat and stock that one has to work with after the duck is done! I have made it several times in the past with varying success. Today I skipped a step - I didn't pour boiling water over the bird and prick it all over with a fork before sticking it in the oven - and I cooked the duck lying down on a little cushion of crumbled foil rather than standing up, "beer can chicken" style.
That won't happen again. The flavor was good and the rosemary, sage and thyme stuffed in the carcass were a good match but, though the skin was crispy, it wasn't the dry crispy of proper duck, but had more oil in it than usual.
I didn't get much "liquid gold" after the fat rendered but the stockpot is bubbling away on the stove as I type. Duck ramen on Saturday.