Magret de Canard With Colonel Hawker Sauce

Colonel Hawker is said to have been Wellington’s fowling officer. His recipe was given to me by my friend, the late Angus Cameron.

Ingredients

• 1 magret (2 boneless breast halves)
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon mushroom ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Harvey sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup port wine

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    133 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 33 milligrams cholesterol; 153 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. Score the duck by drawing a sharp knife at a slant diagonally through the skin and fat in rows 1/4 inch apart without penetrating the flesh. Do the same in the opposite direction. Salt the breasts on both sides.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place duck breasts skin side down and reduce heat to low to render the fat without overcooking the meat, which should be served pink. Cook slowly until the layer of fat all but disappears, about 30 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, turn breasts over and sear until browned, about 1 minute. Let duck sit for 10 minutes to reabsorb its juices. Remove breasts and cover loosely. Save fat for another purpose.
3. Combine stock, sauces, lemon juice, shallot, cloves, mace and cayenne. Heat to boiling; then simmer 10 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Return sauce to the cleaned pan, add port and reduce to about 1 cup. Adjust seasonings. (If desired, thicken sauce slightly with roux, as in previous recipe.)
4. To serve, thinly slice breasts lengthwise and accompany with the sauce.

• Magret means the breast of any duck, boned and sautéed. The best magret is from the Moulard duck. You can order moulard breast from D’Artagnan, 1-800-DARTAGN (1-800-327-8246). Harvey sauce and mushroom ketchup can be ordered from Ketchupworld, 1-866-KETCHUP (1-866-538-2487), or substitute Worcestershire.

1 hour 15 minutes