Makes 4 servings
Serve with a pinot noir

Two 12-ounce Muscovy Duck breasts
Honey Roasted Carrot Farro Salad (recipe below)
Cider Jus (recipe below)

First score the fat side of the breast by making shallow, crosswise cuts. (This helps the fat melt away into the pan.) Season the breasts well with kosher salt and finely ground black pepper.

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron, on a grill over medium heat until very hot. Add the duck breast. skin side down and cook for 5-7 minutes or so, rendering the skin crispy. Turn the duck over and cook it for a minute or two on the meat side, basting it with some of the fat from the pan. Transfer the duck, meat side down, directly on to the grill for 1 minute. Remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Mound a kitchen spoonful of the Honey Roasted Carrot-Farro-Herb Salad in the middle of each plate. Then slice the duck breasts in thin strips across the breast, fan half a breast over each mound of salad and spoon a liberal amount of the Cider Jus over the duck.

Roasted Carrot-Farro-Herb Salad
½ cup honey
2 pounds carrots, peeled and slant-cut on a bias as well as turning them as you cut. They should look like triangles
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 medium red onions, julienne (1/4” thin strips)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup raw Farro, (cook for 15 minutes in water then drain)
¼ cup toasted pistachios
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
¼ cup whole tarragon leaves
½ cup whole parsley leaves
1 cup baby arugula
several chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
several chive blossoms, broken into pieces (optional)
several borage flowers (optional)

In a large skillet on high heat boil the honey until it thickens and starts to turn a dark amber color. Add the carrots, salt and pepper to taste and the cumin seed. (The carrots will very quickly start to exude liquid.) Add the onions and thyme, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until the carrots are cooked and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed or boiled off. Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon juice, olive oil, faro, pistachios, vinegar, tarragon, parsley, arugula, chives, chive blossoms, borage and salt and pepper to taste.

Cider Jus
2 cups apple cider
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon minced shallots
2 sprigs of thyme
1 teaspoon anise seed or 2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 stick of unsalted butter, cut in small pieces, kept cold
juice 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Place cider, broth, shallots, thyme, spices and vinegar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until mixture is reduced to about 3/4 cup of liquid remaining, about 20 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Strain, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids.