We all know turkey is the bird of the hour when it comes to Thanksgiving. But in all honesty, I can’t say it’s really my favorite dish – unless of course, it’s deep fried (just sayin’). I much prefer a succulent fall duck to any other poultry dish during the holiday season. And speaking of duck, I found one in Boston served up in a cast iron skillet that tastes utterly divine.

You may not know it, but at the base of Hanover Street in the North End, Bricco is serving up the best two-way duck dish in Boston – at least in my opinion. The restaurant’s glowing reputation for serving consistently delicious and sophisticated Italian food held true during my visit. And although I normally associate the restaurant with heavenly late-night pizza, its decadent dinner menu and flavorful dish upgraded Bricco’s place in my mind.

The Mallard Duck Duetto dish was a unique twist on the usual (sometimes boring) duck. It was served two ways – as a confit leg and as a seared duck breast. The duck was surrounded with delectable roasted yams, slices of sweet mango and, thanks to the small frisee salad, an added crunch. The meal was topped off with lightly drizzled sweet and sour mango soy sauce.

While the description (above) is certainly different from your typical duck dish, you can trust me that it’s also probably a lot better (if that’s even possible). The opposite of bland, the tender confit leg was practically falling off the bone, while the seared duck breast was slightly tougher yet just as succulent. I honestly couldn’t decide which one I liked best.

And I felt that the sweet autumn roasted yams perfectly complemented the savory dish. If you don’t believe me, take it from my dinner partner who gleefully declared, “This is the best duck I’ve ever had.” Not making that one up.

If you haven’t yet experienced the mallard two-ways at Bricco, I highly recommend hopping over to the stone-cobbled streets of the North End tonight.