Aromatic Duck Rillettes Recipe

Name: Aromatic Duck Rillettes Recipe
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 whole duck (about 6 pounds); 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 2 generous teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 2 heaping teaspoons dried thyme; 12 cloves garlic (crushed and peeled); 3- inch knob of fresh ginger (don't worry about peeling, sliced into quarter inch pieces); 3-4 bay leaves; peel from an orange (no white pith); 1 large bunch of fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon black peppercorns; cold duck meat; 1 1/2 tablespoons cognac or brandy; 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter; 2-3 tablespoons warm duck fat (from the duck you've roasted); 2 tablespoons warm duck stock (from the duck you've roasted); 2 teaspoons parsley (chopped); 1 teaspoon orange zest; 1 teaspoon dijon mustarad; dash of cayenne pepper; salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; additional orange zest; black pepper; parsley leaves; 4-6 ramekins (canning jars or other half-pint sized crocks)