Name: Magret de Canard
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 14 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 duck breast; Coarse sea salt; Ground black pepper

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

In my humble opinion, there are few things more delicious than Magret de Canard. I first fell in love with it when I moved to Paris and the love affair has continued. Cooking magret de canard so that it is just rosé is a work of art but it is not difficult. If you follow our simple steps, you will be able to make exquisite French magret de canard in your home kitchen. Why not serve this with French onion soup as an appetizer? You’ll feel like you’re eating in Paris in no time!

Sliced Magret de Canard on a white speckled plate

The traditional magret de canard recipe was developed in the Southwest of France and by Michelin starred chef, André Daguin, who added it to his menu at the Hôtel de France in Auch in 1959. Daguin had inherited the hotel from his parents and kept it until selling it in 1997. I wish we could have tasted his famous duck. However, he unfortunately passed away last year.

Table of Contents

How to cook magret de canard step by step

Step 1

Score the skin using a sharp knife. Careful not to cut into the meat!

Raw Magret de Canard on a white speckled plate that has been scored with a knife.

Step 2

Rub coarse sea salt and black pepper into holes the skin.

Step 3

Put the duck in a cold frying pan, skin down, and turn on the heat (medium heat).

Raw duck breast skin down in a black frying pan

Step 4

Once the frying pan gets hot and the skin begins to sizzle, cook the duck for 8 minutes.

Step 5

The fat will have melted out, so remove it from the frying pan.

Step 6

Turn the magret de canard over and cook the meat side down for another 4 minutes.

Step 7

Remove the duck from the frying pan, remove from the frying pan, wrap in aluminum foil and leave to rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Step 8

Slice to your preferred thickness.

Watch Gordon Ramsey make magret de canard in the video below

Isn’t it captivating? This beautiful video by Gordon Ramsey also shows the recipe step by step. You will notice that the result in the video is slightly more cooked than our French version. (We tend to eat things pretty raw here!) It’s up to you to decide how you prefer it.

FAQs

Where does magret de canard originate from?

This dish was created by Michelin starred chef, André Daguin, in Southwest France in 1959.

What kind of duck should be used to cook magret de canard?

It seems that when you go duck shopping in the US, you are more likely to find the White Pekin variety. Here in France, magret de canard is made from Mulard ducks. The mulard duck is a hybrid between the domestic muscovy and the domestic mallard. These are the same ducks that are used for foie gras which is quite controversial. It is up to you if you choose to eat this meat, and we absolutely respect if you are against it, although that is not the topic of this particular post. Personally, we eat magret de canard very rarely (much like foie gras).

What does magret de canard taste like?

The taste of magret de canard sprinkled with card sea salt is unlike any other. The duck meat is rich and dark. It is divine.

What should you I serve with magret de canard?

There are many ways to serve magret de canard. We love the flavor of sweet potato with duck, so we tend to serve it with oven roasted sweet potato wedges or a sweet potato puree. Gratin Dauphinois is delicious served with duck as well.

How do you say magret de canard in English?

The translation would be “duck breast” although as I explained earlier, the French use a particular duck breast for this recipe. You can use the duck that is available to you though.

More French Recipes on AHK