This is a dish I invented for the Duck Off, a friendly cooking competition I had with the head chef at Sacramento’s Grange restaurant, Michael Tuohy. I wanted to combine duck and apples — a classic combination — in a new way, and I wanted to serve the judges some duck breast, which I thought they’d want; after all, breasts are the most accessible part of the bird.

I call it “Ducks in the Orchard” because ducks eat apples when they can find them, and besides, I like naming my dishes…

This is a pretty simple preparation. Because you slice those apples thin, it only sautes in the duck fat for a few minutes. Don’t overcook or they will get soggy.

Serves 4

• 2 whole breasts from a large duck (mallard, pintail, canvasback, etc) or 4 teal breasts, or 3 breasts from a medium duck such as a wigeon or wood duck. You could also use 1 whole goose breast.
• 3 tablespoons duck fat or butter
• 4 cooking apples, such as Granny Smith
• 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• Hawaiian red salt or coarse sea salt

1. Take the duck breasts out and salt lightly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl.
3. Slice the apples into quarter moons. Do not peel. They should be about 1/8 inch thick, more or less. Drop each slice into the lemon juice and make sure all sides are coated to avoid browning.
4. Pat the duck breasts dry and lay skin side down in the pan.
5. Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the duck breasts skin side down, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on size. Turn over and cook for another 2-4 minutes, again, depending on size.
6. Remove the duck breasts and tent with foil. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, cook the apples over medium heat in the remaining duck fat or butter. Add a little more if needed. Do not crowd the apples. Brown them lightly on both sides. When you flip them, sprinkle the brown sugar over everything and swirls to combine while the apples continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. Remove the apples and place on a paper towel.
9. Pour the cider in the pan and put the heat up as high as it will go. Sprinkle a pinch of salt in the pan and boil this down furiously until it’s cooked down by two-thirds.
10. Slice the duck breast pieces roughly the same width as the apples.
11. To make the dish, make a rosette of alternating duck breast and apple in the center of the plate. Spoon a small amount of the reduced cider on each piece of duck, then one more spoonful in the center of the rosette.
12. Sprinkle with the fresh mint and the Hawaiian red salt. Serve at once.

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