Skinned Duck Confit with Roasted Cracklings

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarse bread crumbs 
• 4  boned duck breast halves 
• 4  duck legs whole (thighs and drumsticks attached;)
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves dried fresh
• 1 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper 
• 0.3 cup parsley chopped
• 0.3 cup salt 
• 0.3 cup sugar 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Pull and cut skin from duck breasts and legs. Slit leg skin open to lie flat. Put skin in a single layer in a pan about 10 by 15 inches.
2. Bake in a 350 oven until skin is crisp and golden, about 1 hour, turning pieces over occasionally.
3. Drain skin on towels. Scrape duck fat from pan into a bowl and reserve; wipe pan clean.
4. Meanwhile, mix salt and sugar and rub heavily all over breasts and legs. Put duck in a bowl, cover, and chill at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour.
5. Discard liquid that forms and rinse duck well under cool running water, massaging to release salt and sugar. Put duck in the 10- by 15-inch pan.
6. Sprinkle with thyme and pepper.
7. Add 1/4 inch of water to pan. Cover pan tightly with foil.
8. Bake in a 325 oven until meat is very tender when pierced, about 1 1/4 hours.
9. Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, combine bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons reserved fat from duck skin. Stir until bread is richly toasted.
10. Pour into a bowl. Coarsely chop duck skin.
11. Transfer cooked duck to a large platter and keep warm. Put duck skin cracklings on a piece of foil and return to oven to heat, about 5 minutes.
12. Pour into a small bowl.
13. Sprinkle toasted bread crumbs and parsley over duck.
14. Add cracklings to portions as desired.
15. Roasted cracklings: Nutritional information not available.