- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
- Let duck stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- Generously season duck with salt.
- Mix together the Dijon, Parmesan, and maple syrup in a bowl to make a paste. Season with pepper to taste.
- Cover duck with Parmesan mixture.
- Place duck in a rectangular ovenproof dish.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 160°C (325°F).
- Return duck to oven to bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, add chicken broth, and arrange potatoes around the duck.
- Bake for between 1 and 1½ hours at 150°C (300°F) until meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 82°C (180°F).
- Baste duck with broth every 10 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and leave duck in the oven.
- Meanwhile, peel pears, cut them in half, remove core, and cut into 1-cm (½-in.) thick slices. Roughly chop the sage leaves.
- Add a little olive oil to a non-stick skillet over high heat, sauté pears with the sage until pears are golden, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
- When ready to serve, place duck under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes before carving.
- Top each serving of duck with grilled pears and sage and serve alongside potatoes topped with cooking juices.
- Serve with seasonal vegetables.
CHEF’S SECRET
If duck is frozen, be sure it's fully thawed before cooking.