Duck Breast with Cherry Gastrique

Pat the duck breasts completely dry. Score the skin in a crosshatch about 1/4 inch apart, cutting through the fat but stopping at the meat — if you see red, you've gone too deep.

Salt the skin generously and set the breasts skin-side up on a rack in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 to 4 hours. Dry skin renders and crisps. Wet skin steams. That's the whole difference.

Season the meat side with the remaining salt and the pepper. Place the breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet — no oil — and set it over medium-low heat.

Render for 15 to 20 minutes. You want a steady gentle bubble in the fat, never a hard sizzle. Pour off the rendered fat into a heatproof jar every few minutes and save it — that fat is worth more than most of what's in your pantry.

While the duck renders, start the gastrique. Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan — do not stir — and cook 4 to 6 minutes until the caramel turns deep amber.

Pull the pan off the heat and add the vinegar carefully, standing back. It will seize and steam hard. Return it to medium heat and stir until the hardened caramel dissolves back into the liquid, about 2 minutes.

Add the shallot, red wine, cherries, stock, and thyme sprig. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until reduced by about half and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Discard the thyme. Season with salt and pepper, then take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter until it disappears. Butter goes in off the heat — boil it and the sauce breaks.

Back to the duck. When the skin is deep brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads about 125°F (52°C), raise the heat to medium for the last minute to finish the color.

Flip and sear the meat side 1 to 2 minutes, to a final internal temperature of 130°F to 135°F (54°C to 57°C) for medium-rare.

Rest the breasts skin-side up on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes. Rest them on the skin and you undo twenty minutes of work.

Slice against the grain about 1/4 inch thick, fan the slices out, and spoon the warm gastrique around — not over. Keep the skin exposed.