Perfectly cooked medium-rare magret — duck breast — is a delight: rosy, juicy, tender, super-flavorful, and extremely French. We like to keep it simple, bathing it in a simple pan sauce made by sweating shallots in the pan while the magret rests, then deglazing it with red wine. It’s a dish that has confounded many a good cook, as it’s easy to overcook. But if you take it slow and cook it low, you can get a gorgeous crisp skin and perfect dark pink juicy flesh every time. Be sure to let it rest the full 10 minutes, and it’ll be marvelously tender. Serve it with haricots verts and (if you’re feeling expansive) roasted potatoes, a gratin dauphinois or potatoes sautéed in duck fat. Which reminds us: Be sure to save the duck fat you drain from the pan before making the sauce. Simply strain it into a heatproof jar. It keeps covered and refrigerated for six months or more. (NOTE: If you’re buying shrink-wrapped duck breasts that come two to a package, try to get a pack that’s close to a pound; often they’re more like three-quarters of a pound. If you can only find smaller ones and you’re hearty eaters, you might add one small one. If you’d like to double the number of duck breasts, don’t quite double all the sauce ingredients; double the shallots but use about 2/3 cup red wine, 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons butter.)
