Simple Roast Duck Breast

• 2 Muscovy duck breasts
• Kosher salt and pepper

Pat the duck pieces dry, then, with a sharp knife, score the fat of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern; season the duck with salt and pepper.

EITHER:

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.

You want to use a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan (i.e., not one with a wooden or plastic handle—a cast-iron skillet would be perfect). Place the duck breasts, skin-side down, in the cold skillet over medium-low heat to render off the fat—about 6 minutes or so.

Pour off the fat into a jar and save it in the fridge for another time (great for roasting potatoes, for example). Turn the duck breasts over and sear the other side for 1 minute.

Turn the breasts skin-side down again; if you want, you can top the breasts with a pat of butter and a clove of smashed garlic at this point, but it's really not necessary.

Return the skillet to the oven to roast for 6–8 minutes, until the breasts are medium rare.

OR:

You can do this quite easily in your air-fryer. Start by pre-heating it to 400°F

Put the duck breast, skin-side up in the basket on the crisper-tray, and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the basket from your air-fryer, drain the accumulated fat off into a jar to keep it for later use (e.g., roasting potatoes), reduce the heat in your air-fryer to 300°F, return the duck in the basket to the air-fryer, and cook for 10–12 more minutes.

THEN:

Let the duck breasts rest, tented, for 5 minutes then slice thinly and serve.