Magret de Canard: a steak that looks (and quacks) like a duck!

Tour de France Stage 12: Auch to Hautacam.

Well, in all honesty, I was going to post a dish about yesterday’s stage in Toulouse. Even though I couldn’t get my hands on real deal Toulouse sausage, I had found some very delicious sausage from a local vendor at my farmer’s market. I should’ve done a straightforward dish. But, I tried to be cute and make a summer cassoulet…salad of sorts. It didn’t end well. The sausage was delicious, though. That kind of put a sour note on Bastille Day when I made the meal. 

But, today’s stage lined up perfectly in my wheelhouse. Auch is the home of André Daguin, the man who was credited with Magret de Canard - or cooking a duck breast like a steak! His daughter is none other than Ariane Daguin…and if that name does not ring a bell, her company will: D’Artagnan. I regularly use their duck fat and always their duck breasts for all of my recipes. I also used their demiglace for this recipe which I pulled right off their website. However, the recipe somewhat flies in the face of the family recipe. I made sure to do it properly, by starting in a cold pan the way Ariane and her father preferred. 

Duck Breast with Red Wine Sauce

adapted from D’Artagnan 

• 2 duck breasts

• 1 shallot, diced finely

• 1 cup red wine from SW France (but, Pinot Noir will do)

• 2 tbsp duck and veal demiglace 

Remove the duck from the packaging and blot with paper towels. Set at room temperature for 20 mins. 

Score the duck skin and through the fat in a diagonal fashion - do not cut into the flesh of the duck.

Season with kosher salt and black pepper on the skin side. Place them in a stainless steel skillet set over medium-high heat. Season the flesh side with kosher salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Once you hear sizzling in the skillet, turn the heat down to medium and cook undisturbed for about 8-12 minutes or until the skin is deep golden brown and most of the fat has rendered. There should still be a little visible fat in-tact. 

Remove the rendered fat from the skillet a few times during the cooking process. Pour into a bowl or jar and reserve.  

If there is any unrendered/non-seared fat on the sides, using tongs, sear off the sides for a minute or two, then place flesh side down and cook for 4 mins. 

There should be about a tablespoon of fat in the bottom of the skillet. If a bit dry, add some of the reserved rendered duck fat. 

Place in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the breast, or until the interior reaches 135 degrees.

Remove from the oven and the duck from the skillet when the temperature has reached 135 and set the duck on a cutting board to rest. 

Meanwhile, ensure there is  a tablespoon of fat left in the skillet (or add from the reserve), and set the skillet back over medium-high heat. 

Toss in the shallot with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent. 

Add in the wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to remove any fond. Bring to a steady simmer and reduce by half. 

Then, add in the demiglace and reduce by about a half. 

While the demi sauce reduces, slice the duck into ½” thick slices. 

Fan out the duck on warm plates and spoon the sauce over. Serve immediately with your favorite potato side dish. 

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