Alot of people think that the fat in a duck is contained only underneath the skin, but the meat itself is also very very fatty. There are two things you can do to make your duck experience more enjoyable. First of all, score the skin. I can't stress this enough. There are large amounts of pure fat sitting between the skin and flesh of the duck, and to effectively render it away and leave you with perfectly crispy skin, score the skin and saute your duck meat over low heat. The low heat also gradually heats the flesh of the duck and will rener the meat contained inside. A properly sauteed duck breast will shrink to about 1/3 of the size it was when raw, and will still be a delicious medium rare in the center.
Another great thing to do with duck if you want to confit it, is to first cure it overnight. This does 2 things. First, it introduces flavor. Second, it draws out moisture from the skin. Next cook the duck confit (in its own fat) until it is falling off the bone tender. At this point, most people think their work is done. However, this leaves you with a very fatty duck confit. I like to store the duck in its own fat (refrigerated, the fat will sort of gelatinize and is a great preservation method) until I am ready to cook it. Befor I serve it, I like to roast the duck confit, which renders off any excess fat as well as leaves the skin perfectly crisp ( remember the cure?!). It has been said that confit is perhaps the BEST way to enjoy duck. Just remember to follow these steps to make it as tasty as possible.