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Magret de Canard sauce a l’Orange may seem like a complicated dinner, however, it is not difficult to make. It is the breast of duck a l’orange, a perfect dish for a special dinner with friends or an intimate evening with your special one.
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This week is La Semaine du Goût here in France, and according to the travel website Expedia, the French have voted the Magret de Canard as their favourite dish: duck breast.
The technique to cook the magret is very simple and below are step by step instructions.
Cooking Duck Breast
Duck breast is very common meat here in France. It is very different from chicken breast.
The meat is red and its taste is more similar to beef. It has a thick layer of fat on a side, which makes the meat very tender when cooked.
Duck breast should be cooked medium rare with the center still slightly pink. If properly cooked the meat is very tender.
If it is cooked too much the meat can get tough and dry.
Sauces you can use
I use an orange-based sauce which is a classic and also my favourite. You can use any other sauce you fancy, like cream, teriyaki, white wine or balsamic vinegar.
You just cook the duck first and make the sauce by deglazing the pan once you have removed the excessive fat.
Ingredients you need
To prepare the duck Magret you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 duck magret
- Juice from 2 oranges
- 1 orange sliced and peeled
- 3 tbsp of sugar
- ¼ cup of Cointreau
- Salt and pepper
Note: If the oranges are too sweet you can add 1 tbsp of cider vinegar.
How to clean it
- With a sharp knife remove the two white membranes so that the magret will not curl when cooking.
- Trim the fat from the side
- Carve the top of the skin in diamond shapes.
How to cook it
- Place the duck magret to cook on medium heat, skin side down. No fat is needed as the fat from the skin will melt straight away.
- Let it cook for 10 minutes then turn. Cook for 10 more minutes.
- If too much fat has melted remove it from the pan. Make sure the meat is well seared everywhere.
- Remove the duck magret and place them on a plate covered with aluminium foil.
Making the sauce
- Remove all the fat from the pan, but do not clean it.
- Deglaze the pan with the orange juice.
- Add the sugar, orange slices and Cointreau.
- Cook until the juices are caramelized, about 10 minutes at medium heat.
- Add the Magrets back to the pan and let it cook for another 10 minutes basting them with the juices.
- Let the duck magret rest for 5 minutes then slice them and pour the juices on top.
- The Magret de Canard is ready
Top Tips
- I use an orange-based sauce which is a classic and also my favourite. You can use any other sauce you fancy, like cream, teriyaki, white wine.
- If the oranges are too sweet you can add 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
- With a sharp knife remove the two white membranes so that the magret will not curl when cooking.
- No fat is needed for cooking as the fat from the skin will melt straight away.
- Once you cooked the Magret, remove all the fat from the pan, but do not clean it. You will deglaze the pan for the sauce.
- Magret de Canard à l’Orange It can be served with Gratin Dauphinoise and a vegetable of your choice. You will find those recipes below.
What can you serve with the Magret de Canard
Magret de Canard à l’Orange It can be served with Gratin Dauphinoise and an Italian orange salad with fennel. You will find those recipes below.
I use a microwave for the gratin, and it is the easiest thing to make when you have guests.
You can find a step by step guide on how to prepare both dishes for a dinner party here.
I also like to serve a refreshing fennel orange salad which well combines with the rich meat of the duck.
This salad is light, fresh and beautiful to look at. The perfect dish to offer at a dinner party.
Other parts of a duck
The other parts of a duck that are very popular here in France are the leg confit.
They are the leg of the duck stored in its fat and canned. I use them in the cassoulet, but you can also serve them by themselves and cook some potatoes in the same fat.
They are deliciously crunchy and fat.
Recipes you might also like
For more potatoes recipes, check out the category: Main Course
Also check the recipes below:
- Daube Provencal
- Traditional Cassoulet Recipe
- Pork Casserole with Pineapple or whatever
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Chestnuts and Cranberries
- Wild Boar with Chocolate Sauce
- Homemade Roast Beef
If you are making the Magret de Canard à l’Orange, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Magret de Canard à l’Orange Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 magrets de canard duck breasts
- 2 juice from oranges
- 1 orange sliced and peeled
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1/4 cup Cointreau
- salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar OPTIONAL: If the oranges are too sweet
Looking for kitchen gadget gifts?Instructions
Cleaning the duck breast
- To clean the Magrets de canard, remove with a sharp knife the two white membranes so the Magret will not curl when cooking.2 magrets de canard
- Trim the fat from the side
- And carve the top of the skin in diamond shapes
Cooking it
- Place the Magrets de canard to cook on medium heat, skin side down. No fat is needed as the fat from the skin will melt straight away.
- Let it cook for 10 minutes then turn. Cook for 10 more minutes. If too much fat has melted remove it from the pan. Make sure the meat is well seared everywhere.
- Remove the Magrets and place them on a plate covered with aluminum foil. Remove all the fat from the pan, but do not clean it.
Making the sauce
- Deglaze the pan with the orange juice.2 juice from oranges
- Add the sugar, orange slices and Cointreau. Cook until the juices are caramelized, about 10 minutes at medium heat.1 orange sliced and peeled, 3 tbsp caster sugar, 1/4 cup Cointreau, 1 tbsp cider vinegar
Putting it all together
- Add the Magrets back to the pan and let it cook for another 10 minutes basting them with the juices. Season with salt and peppersalt & pepper
- When they are ready, let them rest for 5 minutes then slice them and pour the juices on top
- Serve with the potato dauphinoise and the vegetables of your choice.
Video
Notes
- I use an orange-based sauce which is a classic and also my favourite. You can use any other sauce you fancy, like cream, teriyaki, white wine.
- If the oranges are too sweet you can add 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
- With a sharp knife remove the two white membranes so the magret will not curl when cooking.
- No fat is needed for cooking as the fat from the skin will melt straight away.
- Once you cooked the Magret, remove all the fat from the pan, but do not clean it. You will deglaze the pan for the sauce.
- Magret de Canard a l Orange It can be served with Gratin Dauphinoise and a vegetable of your choice. You will find those recipes below.
Jane Saunders
I love all your step by step images and the recipe sounds lovely.
Laura
thank you
Tina
I’m always really intimidated by French cooking like this! Your photos make it really helpful though.
Laura
I am glad you think so, because it is not difficult at all
Katie
This technique is much more simple than I thought! Glad to know the sugar goes in after the juice. I can see why it is the favorite dish. It seems so flavorful! And love that crispy skin!
Laura
Thank you. It is really easy but the name tends to scare people from trying
Edyta at Innocent Delight
I love duck and next time I come across duck breast I will give your recipe a try. It is so difficult to find a duck breast in US. So much easier with the whole bird 🙂
Laura
what a shame, I hate when you cannot find the right cut of meat
Valerie Rebesque
French cook approved! Simple recipe, indeed, and not that hard to pull together during a formal dinner if you prepare the side dishes and oranges/orange juice ahead of time, which I did. Served the duck with oven roasted potatoes and French green beans, it was delightful. The duck was tender and juicy, and the proportions for the orange sauce were right on. Thank you!
Laura
Thank you so much for your comment, it filled my heart with joy when I read it. Entertaining can be simple and delicious.
Alyssa
Laura, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Laura
Thank you so much Alyssa
Martyn
Hi,
Two things, firstly in your illustrated recipe you appear to have missed out the part which tells you to put the duck into the orange sauce to cook for a further ten minutes making thirty in total ( the correct instructions appear in the text-only appendix )
Secondly most cooks / chefs advise that the duck is initially placed skin down into a COLD frying pan / skillet and that the heat is gradually increased to medium. This renders the fat ( lots of it! ) out of the skin without searing / charring.
Bon appetite!
Laura
Martyn, thank you for the correction, I have now updated the post and added the missing step on the article text. Thank you also for the Cold frying pan suggestion, I never tried it but I will next time to see the difference.
lisette
very good recepies i did the classic magret a l’orange was super my kid love it to i was happy ty:)
Laura
So glad to hear! Thank you
Gilda
I prepared it yesterday for my sister and my nephew. A Success! they also took pictures…Thanks for the idea you gave me!
Laura
delighted to hear
Roberta
Ciao Laura,
Sono Roberta su una panchina con il mio amico Christopher e stiamo leggendo la tua ricetta dell’anatra all’arancia.
Un bacio,
Roberta
Laura
Ciao Roberta, mi fa molto piacere sentirti. Di a Christopher di aprire il video su il cibo deglia antichi romani. Lo trova sul menu Italian Food Tradition. Alla fine si vedono i nostri cani che si rincorrono. Un grosso bacio, Laura