This is our favorite duck magret recipe ever. We eat a lot of duck around here, and I don’t see why not – meat is healthy, delicious, tender, juicy and super flavorful, comparing to chicken for example.
We have a favorite recipe (my mother’s specialty) for stuffed roasted duck, but it takes about 3 hours of roasting, which is too much for an every day meal, while this duck magret is super quick to cook and perfect for a mid-week dinner.
I make this recipe only in a skillet, without finishing it in the oven, like most recipes call for, simply because it is just perfect cooked only in a skillet.
For the duck magret:
2 large duck breasts, skin/fat on
Salt and pepper
1 table spoon olive oil
For the puree:
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large celery root, peeled and chopped
120 ml. cooking cream
2 table spoons butter
Salt and pepper
For the orange sauce:
100 ml. water
Zest and juice from 1 orange
1 table spoon honey
1 tea spoon balsamic reduction
1/2 tea spoon ginger
30 grams butter
Prepare the meat for cooking: Cut the fat of the duck in squares without cutting into the flesh, season generously with salt and place on a piece of kitchen paper with the fat side down. Let it sit for about 30 minutes or overnight.
Prepare potato puree: In the meantime, heat a large pot of water, add potatoes and celery, cook until tender then drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add cream, butter, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher. Set aside in a warm place until needed.
Cooking: You will be cooking duck breasts and orange sauce at the same time, so you will need a large skillet for the breasts and a small casserole for the sauce.
In the skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat, add dusk breasts skin side down and cook for about 10-13 minutes, without turning in, until skin is crisp and golden brown. Turn the heat down to medium and flip over duck breasts to cook on the other side as well. Cook about 5 minutes for medium-rare or about 10 minutes for medium-well. Once ready, set aside to rest for about 5-6 minutes.
While breasts are cooking, add all ingredients for the sauce, except butter in the casserole. Cook sauce on high heat until it reduces in half. When duck breasts are about to be ready, spoon out a little bit of the fat in the skillet and pour into the sauce (2-3 table spoons will be enough).
Once the breasts are resting, remove sauce from the heat and add the butter. Gently stir to melt and then serve immediately over the duck breasts with potato puree on the side.
