Magret de Canard Rôti,...Magret de Canard Rôti, Mousseline de Panais et Réduction de Mûres

Crisp-skinned Moulard duck breast glazed with lavender honey, served alongside a velvet parsnip mousseline, charred baby leeks, and a glossy blackberry and cassis reduction.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the mousseline: Place diced parsnips, whole milk, cream, and a pinch of salt into a heavy saucepan. Simmer gently over medium-low heat until completely tender, about 18–20 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer hot parsnips to a high-speed blender with 50g of chilled butter and 2–3 tablespoons of the poaching liquid. Blend on high until silk-smooth. Pass through a fine tamis sieve and keep warm.

2. 02

   Prepare the reduction: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 10g butter and sweat the brunoised shallot until translucent. Deglaze with crème de cassis and reduce by half. Add the demi-glace and half of the fresh blackberries (muddled slightly). Simmer for 10 minutes until glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine chinois, return to low heat, whisk in lavender honey, and finish by mounting with 20g of cold cubed butter (monter au beurre). Season with a pinch of Timut pepper.

3. 03

   Score and cook the duck: Pat the duck breasts dry. Score the skin in a tight 2mm cross-hatch diamond pattern, ensuring not to pierce the flesh. Season generously with fine sea salt. Place skin-side down in a cold, dry carbon-steel or cast-iron skillet. Turn heat to medium-low to render the fat slowly over 10–12 minutes, spooning away excess fat continuously.

4. 04

   Sear and baste: Once the skin is deep golden and ultra-crisp, increase the heat to medium-high for 1 minute. Flip the breasts, add the fresh thyme sprigs and 20g butter, and baste (arrosé) the duck continuously for 2–3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm resting rack for 6–8 minutes.

5. 05

   Glaze the baby leeks: In a sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of rendered duck fat, sear the baby leeks until lightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes. Season lightly with fleur de sel.

6. 06

   Plating: Carve each duck breast lengthwise into thick, elegant slices. Swipe a generous quenelle of hot parsnip mousseline across each pre-warmed plate. Arrange two baby leeks and slices of duck breast over the purée. Scatter remaining fresh blackberries, nape with the warm blackberry-cassis jus, and finish the duck with a sprinkle of Fleur de sel and cracked Timut pepper.