Fennel-roasted Duck Breast
The beauty of this couscous is that it can be served warm, room temperature or chilled. For an extra kick, sprinkle the tomatoes with Aleppo pepper flakes or similar mild chili flake when they come out of the oven. Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 2 large duck breasts, about 1 pound each, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a fine diamond pattern. Sprinkle the fennel seed evenly over both sides of the duck then follow with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a medium heavy-bottomed sauté pan over low heat. When pan is warm, add the duck breasts skin-side down. Let the heat draw the fat from the skin to slowly crisp the skin for about 10 minutes until the skin is golden. Increase the heat slightly if the fat is rendering too slowly but do not let the pan smoke. It is a slow process and you should see the skin gradually crisp and turn golden. Drain the fat into a heat proof container as it accumulates. This can be reserved and used to fry potatoes. Use a heatproof spatula to hold the breasts in place as you tilt the pan to drain.
3. When the fat is thoroughly rendered and the skin is crisp. Turn the breast over and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the meat side. Remove the breasts from the pan and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes before slicing.