Poultry

If you have never thought to boil a turkey, this 1623 recipe will make a believer out of you. While the original recipe calls for a whole bird, the modern recipe is adapted to use with prepackaged turkey pieces. If you would like use a small whole bird (10-12 pounds), cut it into ten pieces before boiling—it is really difficult and potentially dangerous to lift a whole steaming turkey from a pot of boiling broth. For this larger amount of turkey, you will need to double the other ingredients.

Muscovy duck is the leanest of all domesticated duck breeds, yet tender and full-flavored. This technique makes it even leaner by first rendering the fat from the skin (which also makes it deliciously crisp). If you don't find Muscovy duck in stores, order it online from dartangnan.com or grimaud.com.

Layer upon layer of flavor infuses this stylish yet deeply comforting dish.

To make this dish even more decadent, add cooked chopped pancetta or cooked and crumbled smoked bacon.

Meyer lemons add a floral note, but if you can't find them, regular lemons work just fine.

Hash has never been so decadent. Pieces of duck confit, tender vegetables, and golden-brown potatoes meld with a lavish drizzle of heavy cream and Madeira to create a breakfast centerpiece.

If you haven't thought of duck as comfort food before, this will change your mind. Pasta, confit duck, and Savoy cabbage become the perfect cool-weather dinner—rich and succulent without seeming heavy. If you haven't had confit duck before, trust us: It's just as good as you would imagine duck cooked in rendered fat would be.

Falling-off-the-bone chicken is cooked in a Chinese-inspired citrus sauce— the source of its reddish-brown color.

The ingredients are simple, but they add up to a main course that's incredibly hearty and satisfying. Cute little lady apples, cooked until soft and almost bursting, bring a luscious sweetness to the chicken and bacon.

Capon's richness is perfectly complemented by mellow roasted onions and shallots. Though you can find frozen capons in almost every supermarket, we recommend ordering a fresh one from the butcher—the meat will be silkier and more delicious.

Good things do come in small packages. This quail is tender and juicy, and the marinade gives it a spicy sweetness. Best of all, you won't believe how easy it is—marinate, then it's less than 20 minutes between you and an elegant, delicious meal that's sure to impress.

Though many people see smoking as a process meant for professionals, or at least for doing outdoors, this procedure—done mostly in a wok—is simple and produces a mean smoked duck. Try thin slices over a salad, or make smoked-duck sandwiches for a picnic. When smoking, be sure to seal the foil tightly to keep the smoke from infusing more than just your duck.

Although this dish may sound unusual, it turns out that the sweetness of grapes and caramelized onions makes for a delicious alliance with aromatic rosemary and rich chicken livers.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Cal-a-Vie Living: Gourmet Spa Cuisine and is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Cal-a-Vie. We would not think of removing this lunch from our repertoire! After a decade, we have only made it better with homemade low-fat chipotle mayonnaise and sliced mozzarella.