Duck Breast à l'Orange

Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts (about 8 oz each)
• 2 oranges (1 juiced and zested, 1 supremed)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp cold butter, cubed
• 1 sprig thyme
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Score the duck skin in a tight crosshatch without cutting into the flesh, season all over, and rest at room temperature 20 minutes.
2. Lay the breasts skin-down in a cold, dry pan, then set it over medium-low. Render 12–15 minutes, pouring off fat as it collects, until the skin is deep amber and shatter-crisp. Flip and cook 3–4 minutes to 130°F (54°C) for rosy medium-rare, then rest 8 minutes skin-up.
3. Meanwhile, make the gastrique: melt the sugar in a saucepan until it turns copper, then carefully add the vinegar (it will hiss) and reduce to a syrup.
4. Add the orange juice, zest, stock, shallot, and thyme; reduce by two-thirds until it coats a spoon. Off the heat, mount in the cold butter cube by cube until the sauce shines.
5. Slice the duck on the bias, fan it over the sauce, and finish with orange supremes and a crack of pepper. Candlelight optional but advised.