Duck

[adenoma]

Does anyone have a quick and easy recipe for magrette of duck? On Christmas Day I will be alone and working(I work at home)but I thought I would like to made some gesture to the holiday season.

[cape chef]

adenoma,
If you are using true magret. (duck that is force feed for it's liver)It will be a little larger than say Peking breast or long Island. The only reason I say that is the Muscovy/Moularde easily feeds two. So you will have some good duck hash in the morning.
Anyway. Trim the underside of the breast(meat side) Of sinew and silver skin. Try to keep the tenderloin in tact. Turn the breast over and and make a tic ta'c toe design on the skin, making sure not to pierce the meat.
season with Kosher salt,black and red peppercorns and let sit in the fridge for 1/2 hour or so. to have on hand for the sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Tarragon or champagne vinegar
1/2 cup triple sec or grand mariner if you so desire
1 cup white vermouth
2 cups Orange juice
2 cups Duck stock (or chicken stock)
2 table spoons slurry (equal parts water and corn starch)

Remove the Magret from the fridge and let sit out 15 minutes
As you are tempering the duck take the sugar and water and place it on medium high heat until it starts to caramelize (turn brown) at this point add the vinegar (don't hold your face over the pot)The sugar will seize for a second and then will melt back into solution.When it has melted add your Grand Mariner and vermouth and reduce by half then add your OJ and reduce by a third, then add your stock and simmer add some salt and white pepper, check for balance of sweet and sour then slowly add your slurry. This will thicken your sauce. Do not add all the slurry at once. you may not need it all. Just enough to coat the back of a spoon. set aside and keep warm.
preheat your oven to 450. on the stove top place the duck skin side down in a saute pan and render the fat until crisp.drain out most of the fat and turn the duck flesh side down. cook for 3 minutes then pop in your oven for about 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare. pull from the oven lest rest five minutes.then slice thin bias cuts and plate it up and sauce it.
wild rice with oven dried cranberries goes well
I would drink a nice pinot noir
cc