With the changing of the season comes the emergence of the hunt, and as warm nights give way to brisk afternoons, a craving for rich, comfort food takes hold. As such, great culinary minds strive to compose game-focused dishes ripe with creativity, and many seek out duck for its boldness and complexity. "It’s a rich, luscious, full-bodied meat," says Patrick O’Connell, the executive chef at the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va. "It has all the satisfaction of a steak and all the delicacy of a fowl."

When he’s not enjoying duck prepared in his own kitchen, where a pan-seared breast is served over sweet corn pudding with Montmorency sour cherries, O’Connell is often making the 90-minute drive east to the Source (www.wolfgangpuck.com), an Asian fusion restaurant in Washington, D.C., where chef Scott Drewno serves a lacquered Chinese duckling with lo mein noodles and star anise–infused Bing cherries. "What I love about the duck at the Source … you get it all in one dish," O’Connell says. "It’s the incredible lacquered skin and a luscious, juicy, full-bodied meat; and it’s a plump duck that hasn’t been dried out from overcooking. Rarely do you get Peking duck in a very good Chinese restaurant that is as full-flavored and as luscious as what he’s serving."

The bucolic Eastern Townships of Quebec may well be the epicenter of duck dining in North America. The region is known for its Brome Lake ducks, which commonly are served around the world in Peking form. The bistro Le Relais at Auberge Knowlton (www.aubergeknowlton.ca) in the village of Knowlton, devotes almost an entire page of its menu to duck. But if such variety is too overwhelming, Christopher Marks, a regular patron, recommends the restaurant’s latest preparation of magret (duck breast), which includes a sauce made of sea buckthorn (a lemony-flavored berry) and mango. "It’s delicious," he says. "They don’t cook the meat too long, so it’s pink, as it should be."

Though it may be the most common preparation style, Peking duck is not for everyone; and Steven Kapfhammer will be the first to say so. Kapfhammer, who was born in Kentucky but now lives in New England, proclaims duck to be one of his favorite dishes, but he finds the Peking style too greasy. Instead, he prefers the way duck is prepared at L’Espalier (www.lespalier.com) in Boston, roasted with seared foie gras and served with a Champagne ginger sauce. "They’re known for being completely decadent, where too rich is never rich enough," he says of the restaurant, though it’s the richness of duck that he finds most alluring. "There’s nothing like the fat of the duck. It’s divine because it’s so flavorful."

Equally alluring to Kapfhammer is a grilled duck breast with a honey orange glaze, roasted leg confit, and port wine sauce found at Joshua’s (www.joshuas.biz), a small, family-run restaurant in Wells, Maine. "It’s one of the best duck dishes that I’ve ever had," he says.

If your travels take you farther up the Maine coast, Beth Webster, a Massachusetts-born gourmand who splits her time between New York City and Kennebunkport, insists you sample executive chef Jonathan Cartwright’s take on duck at the White Barn Inn (www.whitebarninn.com). There you will enjoy a pan-roasted Lola duck breast on a sunchoke puree with roasted red pepper coulis, accented by grilled apricots and a cardamom-infused sauce. "At some level there’s a view that orange marmalade is a sophisticated combination with duck, but this is a much more interesting combination of flavors," she says. "A little sweetness is good, which is why the grilled apricots are perfect."

Of the chef, Webster adds, "He’s a fanatic about precision. I really am stunned by his attention to detail. He just goes over the top always to make it perfect."

Note: Lamb is on the menu for December, and we welcome your suggestions. Had a memorable lamb dish over the years? Tell us about it and where you ordered it. You just may see the dish on this page in our next issue. Send comments to our editor at shaunt@robbreport.com or give him a call at 978-264-7565.