Brandied Cherries

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring brandy, sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla bean, star anise, and lemon peel to a boil. Add the cherries. Simmer mixture until the fruit is soft but not mushy. Remove fruit from pot with a slotted spoon and reduce liquid until syrupy. Pour the syrup back over the fruit. Add a splash of Armagnac. Let stand until cooled to room temperature; refrigerate until needed.

May be made up to 3 days in advance.

*If you use frozen fruit, the cooking time will be shorter.

Quatre Épices Duck Breasts

The day before serving, make the quatre épices. Grind the cloves and peppercorns in a spice grinder to a powder. Combine with the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Trim away excess fat from the duck breasts and gently score the skin side. In a small bowl, combine salt with 2 tablespoons of the quatre épices. Sprinkle both sides of the duck breast with the mixture. Place in a non-reactive dish, cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove both the duck and the brandied cherries from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.

Wipe the duck breasts to remove excess seasoning. Fry skin side down in a heavy pan to render the fat and crisp the skin. Turn the breasts over and cook a few more minutes, until the duck is medium-rare and still springy to the touch. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.

Slice the breasts on the diagonal and spoon the cherry mixture over them.