How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen (2024)

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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!

How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen (1)

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!

How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen (2)

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).

How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen (3)

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.

How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen (4)

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.

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How to make magret de canard

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Magret de Canard

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  • Author: A Hedgehog in the Kitchen
  • Total Time: 14 minutes
  • Yield: For 2
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Description

Learn how to make French magret de canard, step by step!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 duck breast
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Score the skin using a sharp knife.
  2. Rub coarse sea salt and black pepper into the cuts in the skin.
  3. Put the duck in a cold frying pan, skin down, and turn on the heat (medium heat).
  4. Once the frying pan gets hots and skin begins to sizzle, cook the duck for 8 minutes.
  5. The fat will have melted out, so remove it from the frying pan.
  6. Turn the magret de canard over and cook the the meat side down for another 4 minutes.
  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.
  8. Slice to your preferred thickness.
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Cuisine: French

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How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How to Make Magret de Canard - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen? ›

duck breast [ex.]

What is magret de canard in english? ›

duck breast [ex.]

What is a magnet de canard? ›

magret de canard duck breast ⧫ fillet of duck.

What does "duck magret" mean? ›

Magret is the name reserved for the breast of a duck that has been force-fed to produce a fatty liver (foie gras). Brome Lake ducks are naturally fed; their duck breast meat is lighter in color, leaner but less dense. It is also smaller and weighs on average 225 g compared to 375 g for the magret.

What is a maigret duck? ›

A true Magret de Canard is the breast meat of ducks raised to produce foie gras. The breasts are double the size of wild duck and have a much beefier taste than ordinary duck breasts. Long a speciality of the south-western provinces of France, today magrets are served in restaurants throughout the country.

What meat is magret? ›

But the magret comes from a duck's breast that has been fattened and force-fed. These ducks are fed this way to provide foie gras (liver). The breast, or supreme, is from a regular duck that hasn't been force-fed.

What is the English name of canard? ›

At any rate, the expression led to the use of canard, the French word for "duck," with the meaning of "a hoax" or "a fabrication." English speakers adopted this canard in the mid-1800s. The aeronautical sense of canard, used from the early days of flying, comes from the stubby duck-like appearance of the aircraft.

How do kitchen magnets work? ›

Refrigerator magnets are usually made from materials that are ferrimagnetic. Similarly, refrigerator magnets are made of a material that is permanently magnetized – they don't use an electric current to generate a magnetic field.

What is the most attractive magnet in the world? ›

Invented in 1983, the neodymium magnet, though not well-known, is the world's most powerful permanent magnet. Composed of approximately 70% iron, 5% boron, and 25% neodymium, neodymium magnets are utilized in electric motors, smart phones, hard drives, headphones, speakers, and many more applications.

What is the most delicious duck? ›

Pekin Duck (or Long Island Duck)

Pekin duck is the most popular duck to eat. Pekin duck meat is known for its mild, satisfying flavor that easily adapts to a number of cuisines. It has lighter flesh and milder flavor than either Moulard or Muscovy duck, and is considered perfect for whole roasting.

What is the difference between magret duck and duck? ›

Magret/Moulard cuts are large and offer bolder flavor than Pekin duck, but more surface fat than Muscovy ducks. Some chefs consider Muscovy/Moulard cuts the best of both worlds because they offer a synthesis of both breeds.

What is duck meat called in French? ›

Canard. It goes perfectly with poultry (chicken, magret duck), meat (shoulder of beef, pork filet), fish, seafood and coldmeats [...]

What breed is a magret duck? ›

Moulard ducks (aka Magret Duck) are the sterile cross-breed of a Pekin duck (aka Long Island Duckling) and the native American Muscovy duck. They represent the best characteristics of both breeds; the robust flavor and large size of Muscovy, with the ample, flavorful fat of Pekin.

What is duck breast called in France? ›

Duck breast fillet is called magret in French, which in turn means petit maigre, or "little lean meat" in Occitan, the language spoken in southern France.

What is a canard in French slang? ›

An unfounded rumour or story. Recorded from the mid 19th century, the word comes from French, literally 'duck', also 'hoax', from Old French caner 'to quack'.

What is duck fat called in France? ›

Foie gras (French for 'fat liver'); French: [fwa ɡʁɑ], English: /ˌfwɑːˈɡrɑː/) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding).

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