Magret Duck Breast à la D`Atagnan
A rich pan sauce of reduced red wine, Armagnac, and black truffle butter adorns seared duck breasts for an impressive holiday dish that's also surprisingly simple to make.
Ingredients
- 2 Magret duck breasts skin scored in a cross-hatch pattern
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 cup duck and veal demi-glace
- 1 cup full-bodied red wine
- ¼ cup armagnac
- 3 tbsp. black truffle butter
Instructions
- Season duck generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place duck skin side down in a 12” skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Cook, without flipping, until fat is rendered and skin is crisp, 5–6 minutes. Flip duck; cook until browned and to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium rare or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the duck reads 130°. Transfer duck to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing on an angle.
- While the duck is resting, make the sauce: Drain all but 1 tbsp. duck fat from pan; add shallot to skillet and cook, 2 minutes, until translucent. Add demi-glace and red wine and reduce by half, 20 minutes. Add Armagnac and cook until the alcohol is cooked off, about 3 minutes. Whisk in butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the sauce over the duck slices and serve with green beans and scalloped potatoes.