Pan grilling DUCK - please help

[KateMontreal]

This will be my frist time grilling magret alone (I've always roasted whole duck before.) I've read so many posts and tips about it, but I am still nervous!

I want to serve it with a mushroom sauce, and figs/caramelized whole shallots on the side, but I want it to be grilled perfectly.

Please help! Do I score it every inch or half inch, how long to cook skin side down? What temp? Have heard med and med/hi! How long on the non-skin side?
How long to rest? Salt before? Marinate before?

Thanks,

Kate

[kuan]

Maybe better to ask this in cooking questions.

[Mangilao30]

I love pan grilling duck. Use fresh breasts, salt and pepper, score the skin side into a diamond pattern. Think of the duck breast as a thick steak. I would do medium heat beginning with the skin side down on the heat and cook until medium. Let rest and carve into fairly thin slices on the bias. Enjoy.

[Steve A]

I'll echo the scoring of the fat in a diamond pattern just to the meat of the duck. I'll offer another cooking option.

Using HIGH heat in an oven usable saute or fry pan (NOT nonstick), sear the duck, skin side down in the hot pan. Once nicely seared and some of the fat has been rendered, pour off the fat (and save for another use) and put the pan, duck - now skin side up - in the oven to finish it off.

Ciao,

[ExpatC]

Magret is a fantastic piece of meat. Think of it as a steak, don't overcook it (best flavor is at med-med rare.

Score the fat/skin every about every 3/4 inch, in a diamond shape, right down to the meat without cutting the meat or cutting it as little as possible. The thing that I have found that is basically foolproof is a med-hi heat, lay it skin side down, till it is basically a nice caramelization. Do the skin to almost the carmelization level that you consider finished (really, you won't overcook it).

Flip it is the pan and go immediately to a hot oven. Do not drain the rendered fat, lots of flavor to the meat and it won't burn. Most Magret breasts are about the same size, my guess is about 7 minutes in the oven. Take it out, let it rest a minute (not too long or it will continue to cook and it's a waste if it is more than medium).

Slice just like Mang. said, on a bias, lovely strips but not too too thin or , I think, Too much of the natural juices will run out.

[JonK]

I highly recommend the version by Alton Brown of Good Eats: Mighty Duck accessible at http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._13045,00.html

I've written about it elsewhere on the Chef Talk site, so I won't repeat myself here, but it has replaced the Julia Child method we used for years.