Great hosts have great tricks. For a crowd, a spiral-sliced ham, served with homemade biscuits and a tart chutney, never fails to impress. For family dinners, chicken roasted with smoked salt and olive oil, bronzed to a golden finish, keeps them coming back for more.

For an intimate holiday dinner, boneless duck breasts, served with a creamy pan sauce, wow every time. Duck breasts deliver on bold taste with the ease of a steak or pork chop.

Be aware that fresh duck breasts can be difficult to find. Plan ahead and place an order with your local butcher shop. Alternatively, look for frozen products, such as the individually packaged boneless breasts sold by Maple Leaf Farms. They are available in the freezer section of some large grocery stores and online. I have also purchased whole ducks when they are on sale and removed the two breast halves for special dinners. Save the legs to roast for another meal. The carcass makes a terrific, rich broth great for a bowl of ramen.

Most boneless duck breast halves range from 5 to 8 ounces, including the skin. Leave the skin on since the meat is lean. The fatty skin keeps things juicy. Score the skin with a sharp knife tip. This lets it expand during cooking and release some fat. Always cook duck breasts to medium-rare for the tenderest meat.

Salt the breasts a day ahead of time so they are properly seasoned. Then, pat dry before cooking. Start the breasts, skin side down, in a preheated empty skillet, preferably a seasoned cast-iron, for the best sear. Cook, without turning, until the skin is gorgeously bronzed and crispy, usually about 10 minutes over medium heat. Searing the second time is brief; the rest of the cooking will happen in a low oven while you make the pan sauce.

Apples, sauteed with bacon and shallots, form the base of the pan sauce. Chicken broth and cream pick up all the flavor from the pan goodies. A splash of brandy (or Calvados, bourbon or port) makes the creamy apples company-worthy. Tarragon, thyme and fresh black pepper finish the sauce.

If you can’t find duck breasts, use bone-in pork loin chops about an inch thick; give them a few more minutes on the second side so they cook to medium. Boneless strip steaks cook faster than duck, so only sear them for 6 minutes at first and use beef broth instead of chicken in the pan sauce.

Roast a panful of Brussels sprouts (and another of small potatoes) ahead of time so they're ready when you cook the duck. Serve the duck breasts with the roasted vegetables. Pair the meal with that special bottle of red wine you've been saving — this is the occasion!

Pan-Seared Duck Breasts with Creamy Apples

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless duck breast halves (5 ounces each)

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon flour

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 slice bacon, cut into thin matchsticks

2 large shallots, finely chopped

2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ¼ inch thick wedges

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon (or basil)

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons brandy, Calvados, bourbon or dry port

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1/4 to 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Chopped fresh parsley and chives, for garnish

1. Pat duck breasts dry. Use the tip of a sharp knife to lightly score the skin of the duck breasts in several spots each about 1/8-inch deep. Season the breasts on all sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate uncovered for up to two days.

2. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place a rimmed baking sheet, topped with a wire rack, in the oven.

3. Dissolve the flour in the chicken broth in a small bowl. Prepare all the remaining ingredients and set them near the cooking surface.

4. Heat a large, 10 to 12-inch, well-seasoned cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles vigorously on contact. Add the duck breasts to the hot pan, skin side down. Cook, without turning, until skin is crisp and nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Flip and cook the second side until breasts are nearly medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the rack over the baking sheet in the oven.

5. Add the bacon and shallots to the pan drippings in the skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until bacon starts to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add apples, tarragon and thyme. Cook and stir until apples are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

6. Stir in brandy and vinegar; scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in dissolved flour mixture. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper

7. Spoon apple mixture onto a warm serving platter. Top with duck breasts. Sprinkle with herbs. Serve.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Onion

Makes 4 servings

1 to 1 1/2 pounds small Brussels sprouts, ends trimmer, halved

1 medium-sized red onion, halved, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees on convection or 400 degrees on conventional setting. Put halved Brussels sprouts and sliced red onion onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and stir well to coat everything with oil. Sprinkle with basil and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

2. Roast, stirring every 5 minutes, until sprouts are tender and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.