Clean <quantity>1</quantity> duck breast from any veins, ligaments, or sinew

Place the duck breast on a tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate uncovered for 48h, with the fat facing up

Using a sharp knife, score the duck fat without reaching the flesh

Season only the meat side with salt to taste

With the heat still off, grease a skillet with extra virgin olive oil and place the duck breast on it, skin side down. Turn the heat on low

Rotate the breast clockwise after 1m to evenly distribute the heat. Repeat this 3 times after every 1m, removing the excess fat from the skillet. Reserve the fat for later use

Turn the heat to medium. Add <quantity>100<unit>g</unit></quantity> of cubed butter, <quantity>5<unit>sprigs</unit></quantity> of thyme, and <quantity>2</quantity> whole garlic cloves

Once the butter starts foaming, tilt the pan to the right and baste the breast with a spoon

Rotate the duck and keep basting. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times, until the meat is seared

Place the duck breast on a rack with the skin side up. Drizzle with the skillet juices and let it rest for 5m minutes before slicing. The pan-seared duck breast is ready

Enjoy with your choice of sides!