French · Main · Medium
Magret de Canard
Seared duck breast with a crackling crisp skin and rosy pink center. Elegant enough for a dinner party, easy enough for a weeknight.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Magret de Canard, in 5 ideas
- Starting in a cold pan lets the fat render slowly for maximum crispness
- Scoring the skin helps fat escape and prevents the breast from curling
- Duck breast should be served pink like a steak, not cooked through
- Resting is essential so the juices redistribute
- The pan sauce takes 3 minutes and elevates the whole dish
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts, about 8 oz each
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
How to make it
Directions
- Score the duck skin in a crosshatch, cutting just into the fat, not the meat.
- Season with salt and pepper and place skin side down in a cold skillet.
- Turn heat to medium and cook 8 minutes, spooning off rendered fat, until the skin is deep golden and crisp.
- Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare.
- Rest 5 minutes, then slice on the bias.
- Deglaze the pan with vinegar and honey, add stock, and reduce to a glaze. Spoon over the duck.
Money saver. Save the rendered duck fat from the skillet in a jar in the fridge; it keeps for months and makes incredible fried eggs.