Recipe Courtesy Stelio Perombelon, Les Chevres, Montreal. Magret is a term for a portion of meat from the breast of the duck of a mallard or Barbary duck. These are the ducks used for making foie gras. The skin and the thick layer of fat still attached to the duck breast.
ingredients
Braised Vegetables
Jerusalem Artichoke Vanilla Pu
Pan Seared Magret of Duck
Star Anise Sauce
directions
Add the beets to a small saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until beets are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Peel and slice beets. Set aside.
Blanch the spring onions for 1 minute in salted boiling water. Add butter to a sauté pan over medium high. Add mushrooms and water. Add green onions and sliced beets. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes until vegetables are glazed.
Add Jerusalem artichokes and vanilla pod in a large saucepan. Add milk and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until artichokes start to fall apart. Drain artichokes, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Transfer to a food processor. Add a few tbsp. of the cooking liquid. Puree until smooth. Keep artichoke puree warm over a double broiler. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Add the duck to the pan, skin side down. Let the fat on the duck breast melt down by half. Turn duck and cook for another minute. Flip again so duck is skin side down once again. Transfer duck to the oven. Roast until medium rare, about 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Put the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan with 1 tbsp. of water. Cook sugar over high heat until turns to a caramel colour. Add vinegar and cook until syrupy, 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and the star anise. Simmer and reduce mixture by half, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
When ready to plate: Slice the duck thinly and add to plate with the braised vegetables and Jerusalem artichoke puree and drizzle with the sauce. Serve. (Note: there will be extra servings of the puree.)