Duck Breast Recipe: Magret with Red Currant Reduction
Pan-seared Moulard duck magret, dry-rubbed with bay leaf and star anise, finished with a red currant reduction built right in the pan. The other side of the duck from our confit recipe, same farm, completely different technique.
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What You'll Need
For the Duck
- 2 duck breasts (magret)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- Salt and pepper
For the Red Currant Reduction
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or sugar or honey)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 star anise
- 2 tbsp cognac
- 8 oz fresh currants (or any dark red fruit)
- 1 tbsp thyme
How to Make Duck Magret with Red Currant Reduction
- Grind the bay leaves, star anise, and salt and pepper together in a mortar and pestle.
- Cut diagonal slits into the duck skin, being careful not to cut through to the flesh. Dust the ground mixture generously over the skin, into the slits, and around the flesh. Set aside for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Heat a saucepan with the maple syrup, vinegars, red wine, thyme, and broth over medium heat. Let it reduce for 5–10 minutes, then add the currants and let them break down while staying slightly chunky. Stir in the cognac and cook for another 2 minutes. Cover and set aside.
- Heat a steel pan over medium heat. Place the magrets skin-side down and leave them for 6–10 minutes, letting the skin darken and crisp. Lower the heat if it's browning too quickly, you want a dark, golden, crisp skin.
- Flip the magrets and cook until the internal temperature reaches 120–125°F.
- Remove from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice into thin ¼-inch strips, plate, and spoon a generous amount of the sauce and currants over the top.
- Serve with steamed, well-seasoned vegetables, green beans, chard, and wild rice. Pair with a bold, full-bodied red wine.
About Our Duck
Same farm as our duck confit →, different cut entirely. Hudson Valley's Moulard breed is bred specifically for size and marbling, magret is the breast, prized for its thick fat cap and dense, almost steak-like meat. If the confit won you over, this is the other side of what that farm does best.
Cook With Duck Fat, Too
Don't waste what renders out of the pan. Hudson Valley also sells pure duck fat on its own, the same fat this magret renders as it cooks. It's worth keeping stocked separately for crisping potatoes, searing vegetables, or enriching a pan sauce well beyond this one recipe.
For more ways to work with Hudson Valley's duck lineup, from smoked breast to whole frozen duck, see our duck confit recipe →.
Wine Pairing for Duck Magret
The recipe itself calls for a bold, full-bodied red, and that's exactly right. The richness of the fat cap and the sweet-tart currant reduction both need a wine with real structure to match.
A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah both stand up well here. If you want something a little different, a Malbec's dark fruit leans into the currant reduction nicely instead of competing with it.
How to Tell When It's Done
This recipe pulls the magret at 120–125°F internally, landing it at a true medium-rare, the standard way duck breast is meant to be served.
Like any pan-seared cut, it'll carry over a few more degrees while it rests, so don't wait for the final number to show up in the pan. See our full meat and seafood temperature guide → for how duck compares to everything else we carry.
Tips for Pan-Searing Duck Breast
Duck breast lives or dies by the fat cap. A few things worth doing right:
- Start it in a cold or barely warm pan. Duck fat needs time to render slowly, throwing it into a screaming hot pan burns the skin before the fat has a chance to melt out.
- Don't skip the rest. Ten minutes matters more here than with most proteins, the fat cap needs time to firm back up before slicing or it'll slide right off.
- Save the rendered fat. Strain it and keep it, it's the same product Hudson Valley sells on its own, and you've already got a batch for free.
What to Serve With It
The recipe's own instinct is right: steamed green beans, chard, and wild rice all let the duck and sauce stay the center of attention. If you're planning a bigger menu around it, this sits naturally alongside our duck confit risotto → for an all-duck tasting menu, or follows our leg of lamb → as a lighter second course if red meat is already on the table.
Recipe FAQ
What's the difference between duck magret and regular duck breast?
Magret specifically refers to the breast of a Moulard duck, larger, meatier, and with a thicker fat cap than a standard duck breast, closer in size and texture to a steak.
What temperature should duck breast be cooked to?
This recipe targets 120–125°F internally for medium-rare, the standard way duck breast is served. It will rise a few more degrees while resting.
Can I use frozen currants instead of fresh?
Yes, or substitute any dark red fruit, cranberries and blackberries both work well if currants aren't available.
Where can I buy duck breast online?
WOLFS delivers Moulard duck breast directly from Hudson Valley across Rhode Island, Eastern Connecticut, Southern Massachusetts, and Boston.
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