Christine Hanna

Editor's note:Chris Hanna suggests serving herFrench Lentil, Prosciutto, and Pepper Saladalongside the pan-seared duck.The first time I made duck, I prepared traditional Peking duck using two enormous birds special-ordered from the butcher. After three days of painstaking preparation, every surface of my kitchen was covered in duck fat, and the ducks had shrunk down so much I only had a few ounces of meat to serve the six people walking through my door for dinner. Duck breasts are the answer! You can find them in the freezer section of your market if you can't find fresh, or you can special-order them from your butcher. They're much less fatty than duck legs or thighs, and they don't shrink much at all. In this recipe, the sear on high heat gets the skin nice and crispy. Aromatic five-spice powder gives the duck an exotic flair. An easy pan sauce results from deglazing the pan with wine and balsamic vinegar. Duck and Pinot Noir are meant for each other. An elegant Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a perfect match, and stands up to the aromatic spice rub.

I adore lentils, particularly the green French variety, as well as the little black ones, sometimes known as beluga lentils because of their resemblance to caviar. Both of these types hold their shape better than the typical brown lentil, and their nutty texture and flavor are divine. This is my favorite fall salad, made a bit indulgent with the addition of prosciutto. I first made this for an autumnal baby shower, and it was a major hit. The earthiness of the lentils and prosciutto plays wonderfully off the color and sweetness of autumn's bounty of peppers. This salad works equally well with meat, chicken, or fish. Best of all, it can be served at room temperature, and tastes even better the next day. So, make the salad the day before, heat up the grill, pop a few corks, and enjoy the sunshine! Serve this earthy salad alongside theduck breastswith a glass of Russian River Pinot Noir.