My Favorite Mistake

My favorite mistake made by my grocer, that is. This week my trusted source for game birds accidentally replaced my pheasant with a beautiful pair of Hudson Valley Moulard breasts, aged seven days and vacuum sealed to lock in their succulent flavor. At first I was angry at this thoughtless mistake. I wasn't in the mood for duck, even if it was a Moulard. But I am a reasonable customer (most of the time) and decided not to cause too much of a fuss. I kept the misplaced duck and together with my husband, we made one of the best dishes of magret de canard au poivre I have eaten in years. I plucked bits and pieces from a few recipes I scavenged online, and winged the rest. The amazing result is detailed below.

1. Begin with the breasts of a Moulard. Rinse and pat them dry, and let them come to room temperature (no longer than 30 min).

2. Score the fat with a sharp knife, down to just where the meat begins and the fat ends. Score the fat all over. This is very important, so don't skip this step. Next, brush a thin layer of olive oil on both sides, and season generously with sea salt and coarse black pepper.

2. In a heavy skillet (iron is best) sear the breasts skin side down. This takes from 5 to ten minutes. The fat should be drained off into a separate bowl as it becomes rendered. Do this, pouring off the fat, until the skin is dark brown and crisp to the touch. Save the fat.

3. Turn the meat over so that the skin is facing up, and put into a 400 degree oven for about five minutes, or less if the meat isn't very thick. Don't overcook! You should be able to see blood.

4. This is crucial: allow the meat to rest. Remove it from the iron skillet and put it on a board or plate so that it doesn't continue to cook. It may be loosely covered with foil if you like, while you make the sauce.

For the au poivre sauce:

1. While the duck is resting, melt some good quality unsalted butter in a sauce pan. About 1 to two tablespoons, depending on the amount of sauce you want. I use 2.

2. Add to the butter a handful of peppercorns, two tablespoons (or a bit more if you like) of the rendered duck fat, and about 2 to 3 tablespoons of Brandy. Let it just come to a boil so that most of the alcohol cooks off.

3. Lower the heat and add heavy creme. I don't measure, but I add about 1/4 cup or less. Let the color be your guide. you don't want a milky taste. If you add too much, add more Brandy, fat, and butter and reboil. If you have to substitute half and half, you can add a pinch of flour at the end to thicken.

4. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

Slice the breasts thinly, at an angle. Some blood will run off, and you want to add this blood to the sauce, stirring well. Place the meat on plates for service, then pour the sauce over the meat, and serve with seasonal greens. I like mixed greens like chard, Tuscan kale, and spinach. Just keep it simple, steaming them together with a bit of the duck fat. You can use the iron skillet for this if you wish, so you don't have to dirty another pan. Add salt and pepper and voila.

Magret from a moulard is exceptionally flavorful, with a slight earthy quality. With a creamy au poivre sauce it is the crown jewel of winter game dishes. I ate this rich, tender meat and slept like a baby, nestled under the cozy down of a different bird.

Enjoy with a good Bordeaux, Syrah, or even a Carmenere. Duck can stand up to full bodied reds, so anything you'd have with a roast will be fine. A Burgundy will bring out the cream sauce. Or, you could even go with a complex, rustic Loire valley or a Languedoc wine. I'll be trying it with them all.

I am suddenly no longer in the mood for pheasant.