Duck dishes can taste super-fatty, but not the Muscovy duck breast ($24.50) at Masraff’s (1025 South Post Oak Lane, 713-355-1975). A plump, thickly sliced breast with a crisp skin sits on a bed of spaghetti squash. Accompanying it is a compote of figs, grapes and rhubarb, which adds a welcome sweetness. And duck-fat fans need not worry: On the side there’s some duck confit, made by slowly cooking the bird in its own fat until it falls apart. It simply melts in your mouth.
This article appears in Mar 9-15, 2006.