Step 1

1 Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels

Step 2

2 Use a sharp paring knife or boning knife to score the skin and fat in a crosshatch pattern, making the cuts about 1/2 inch apart

Step 3

3 The key here is to cut down through the fat without exposing the meat

Step 4

4 Go slowly at first, until you get a sense of how deeply you can cut while leaving a thin layer of the fat (about 1/8 inch) uncut

Step 5

5 Season the breasts well all over with salt and pepper

Step 6

6 Leave the seasoned duck at room temperature while the oven preheats

Step 7

7 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (175 degrees for a convection oven)

Step 8

8 Have a small roasting pan or small heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet outfitted with a flat roasting rack at hand

Step 9

9 Heat a large, heavy skillet (10 to 12 inches, preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat

Step 10

10 Add the duck breasts skin side down and cook for about 6 minutes without moving them, until the skin is deeply browned

Step 11

11 The duck should sizzle, but it shouldn't splatter wildly or smoke

Step 12

12 If the skin appears to be browning too fast and there is a risk of burning, reduce the heat slightly

Step 13

13 Transfer the duck, skin side up, to the rack on the roasting pan or baking sheet

Step 14

14 A good amount of duck fat will be left behind in the skillet

Step 15

15 Reserve the fat in the pan to saute greens to go along with the duck, as described in the headnote, or pour it into a heatproof container (leave any solids behind in the pan) for another use

Step 16

16 Slide the duck into the oven and roast until medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145 to 150 degrees), about 50 minutes

Step 17

17 (If you like your duck seriously rare, you can take it out when it reaches 135 degrees; begin checking after 25 minutes

Step 18

18 )

Step 19

19 Transfer to a cutting board and let the duck rest for about 5 minutes before carving

Step 20

20 Cut each breast crosswise into 1/4-to-1/3-inch thick slices and serve