Pan-Seared Magret de Canard...Pan-Seared Magret de Canard with Lavender-Honey Gastrique and Sunchoke Puree

A refined French masterpiece featuring perfectly rendered, rose-pink duck breast, paired with a velvety, earth-sweet sunchoke puree and balanced by a bright, floral lavender-honey gastrique.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the fat of the duck breasts in a tight, cross-hatched diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Season both sides generously with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper. Allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. 02

   In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped sunchokes, smashed garlic, thyme sprig, heavy cream, and whole milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook until the sunchokes are completely fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

3. 03

   Strain the sunchokes, reserving the warm cooking liquid. Discard the thyme sprig. Transfer the sunchokes and garlic to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, gradually adding 50g of cold cubed butter and a splash of the reserved cooking liquid to reach a silky, velvety consistency. Season with salt to taste, pass through a fine-mesh chinois, and keep warm.

4. 04

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Set the heat to low-medium. Allow the fat to render slowly for 10-12 minutes, pouring off excess fat periodically to keep the skin crispy and golden brown.

5. 05

   Turn the heat to medium-high, flip the duck breasts, and sear the flesh side for 2-3 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare. Remove the duck from the pan and let it rest on a warm carving board for 8-10 minutes.

6. 06

   While the duck rests, prepare the gastrique: In a small saucepan over medium heat, caramelize the lavender honey until it bubbles and turns a deep amber color (approx. 2-3 minutes). Deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, stirring rapidly to dissolve the caramel.

7. 07

   Pour in the duck stock and add the lavender buds. Simmer and reduce the liquid by half, until it reaches a syrupy, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lavender, return to low heat, and whisk in the remaining 15g of cold butter off the heat (monter au beurre) until glossy.

8. 08

   To serve, spoon a generous swoosh of sunchoke puree onto warmed plates. Slice the rested duck breasts on the bias. Arrange the duck slices over the puree, drizzle with the lavender-honey gastrique, and garnish with micro chervil and a final sprinkle of fleur de sel.