Magret au Poivre

Prepare the duck: Remove the tenderloins (the thin strips of meat on undersides of the duck breast) and reserve for another use. With a sharp knife, trim away any gristle from the undersides of the breasts and trim any excess fat. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, cutting through the fat but not quite reaching the meat.

Sprinkle with salt on both sides, then rub 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns all over. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour. (For deeper flavor, refrigerate the breasts for several hours or overnight, then return to room temperature before cooking).

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, lay in the duck breasts, skin-side down. Let sizzle gently for 7 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden, adjusting heat as necessary to keep from getting too dark too quickly.

With tongs, turn the breasts over and let them cook another 3 minutes for rare, 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm platter and let rest.

Make the sauce: Pour off almost all the fat from the pot, leaving just a teaspoon or two (keep rendered duck fat for another use, like duck fat potatoes...). Add in the shallot, garlic, and 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper. Sauté until garlic and shallot begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with Cognac and reduce by half.

Add in the demi-glace and heavy cream, lowering the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and reduce until thickened. Finish the sauce by swirling in the butter, adding an optional 1 tsp cognanc off the heat if you prefer a stronger flavor of Cognac.

Slice the rested duck breast crosswise, not too thickly, at a slight angle and serve with the sauce.

A couple of notes:

• If demi-glace is not available, replace with 1/2 cup reduced beef broth.
• American duck breasts vary in size. The smaller breasts (approx 5 oz) are single-serves, while the larger 1 lb breasts are good for 2 people.