Canard aux Cerises (Duck with Sour Cherries)

This old French dish is a counterpart to duck à l’orange and, like it, is often made cloyingly sweet. Both are descended from duck à la bigarrade, meaning “with sour oranges,” such as Seville, and old recipes for that add no sugar at all. With duck, I prefer cherries to citrus. And small fruits with the pits left in hold more flavor during cooking. Drie…