Servings: 2
Ingredients
1 large duck breast half, about 15 ounces (420 g)
1 tablespoon black or green peppercorns, crushed in a mortar until somewhere between whole and powder
Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped French shallot
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brined green peppercorns, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons Cognac
½ cup (125 ml) beef stock
¼ cup (60 ml) whipping cream
Method
Remove the skin from the duck breast by running a sharp knife between the skin and the meat, lifting the skin away from the meat with your fingers. This is a detailed, annoying task, similar to unwrapping a new dishwasher. When you’ve separated the two, you can set the skin aside to use for a confit.
Cover the meat with plastic wrap and pound it with a rolling pin or the side of a giant cleaver until it is flattened by about 20 per cent. Lightly score the meat to prevent retracting. Rub one side of the duck steak with the black peppercorns to season it, and salt the other side.
Heat a nice (you’re serving tableside, remember?) pan over medium-high heat. Let it get quite hot, add the oil, and when it is hot, add the steak. Cook, turning once, for 1½ minutes on each side.
Take the steak to a plate and set aside. Pour off any fat from the pan, and then wipe it clean.
Put the pan over medium heat, add the butter and sweat the shallots for 4 or 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the mustard, green peppercorns and Cognac, and mix for 30 seconds. Add the stock and reduce until almost syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning, then reduce for a full 2 minutes. If you reduce the sauce too much, add stock or water, not cream.
Return the steak to the pan and toss it in the sauce for a few seconds on each side. Serve on a silver tray with the sauce and fries on the side.
From The Art of Living According to Joe Beef , published by Ten Speed Press