Top 24 European Duck Dishes

This dish of flash-seared duck breast dates back to the late 1950s, when French chef André Daguin first prepared a magret like a steak and served it medium-rare. The meat is usually served thinly sliced and still slightly pink on the inside. The cut of the breast usually comes from the mulard duck, a cross between the Pekin and the Muscovy duck. This breed is raised for foie gras, so its breast meat is thicker and more flavorful than that of other duck breeds. In the mid-1960s, rare duck breast became extremely popular in the United States thanks to Robert Daley, an American journalist who praised Daguin’s specialty in The New York Times. Today, magret de canard can be found on tables throughout France, both in restaurants and private homes.Expand

This French classic is made by slow-roasting duck meat in its own fat. What was once used as a method of preserving meat in times before refrigeration is nowadays enjoyed as a rich and flavorful dish of its own. The meat is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs and spices such as thyme and bay leaves. Traditionally, duck confit is cooked in a copper pot over a fire for up to 24 hours, in order for the fat to render and cover the meat. After cooking, while still hot, the meat and the fat are poured into jars and sealed tightly so that the dish can be stored for later use. The name confit stems from the past participle of the French verb confire, meaning to preserve. Duck confit is so rich and savory that it is usually served on its own, without sauce. However, a side of puy lentils makes an excellent accompaniment to this dish.Expand

In the Czech Republic, roasted duck is known as pečená kachna. The duck is usually seasoned with caraway seeds and marjoram, then slowly roasted in the oven until golden brown and crispy. It is traditionally served alongside potatoes, bread dumplings, braised red cabbage, and occasionally a thick sauce made with reserved duck fat and flour. This nutritious Czech classic is often found on the menus of traditional restaurants, and the homemade versions are usually prepared as a weekend meal or as a main dish served on special occasions.Expand

Arroz de pato is a traditional dish consisting of a combination of flavorful duck meat and rice. Primarily, the whole duck is cooked in a seasoned stock alongside smoked meat and sausages. Shredded meat is then placed in a clay pot and topped with rice which was cooked in the same broth. Before baking, the dish is usually topped with sliced sausages or pieces of smoked meat. Arroz de pato is a popular lunch option in many traditional restaurants, and a common main course that is reserved for special occasions.Expand

Roasted duck with apples is a traditional dish that is mainly served as a restaurant specialty or a festive, home-cooked meal. The duck is generously seasoned before it is stuffed with grated, sliced, or whole apples, and is then baked until crispy. The stuffing is either left out or served together with the duck, while additional accompaniments include boiled or mashed potatoes, stewed cabbage, beets, or separately prepared apples that are generously doused in meat drippings.Expand

Pappardelle all'anatra is a traditional dish that's especially popular in Tuscany. The dish is prepared with a combination of duck meat, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, stock, onions, carrots, celery, olive oil, sage, rosemary, bay leaves, and pappardelle pasta. The hearty meat sauce is simmered until reduced, and it is then combined with the pappardelle pasta. When served, the dish is traditionally garnished with lashings of grated parmesan.Expand

Rață pe varză is a traditional dish originating from Romania. The dish consists of duck legs with baked sauerkraut, and it's usually made with a combination of duck legs, drained sauerkraut, onions, chicken stock, tomato paste and purée, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper. The duck legs are drizzled with oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and placed on a bed of thyme in a roasting dish, then roasted for about an hour. The onions are sautéed in oil, then mixed with the sauerkraut, stock, and tomato paste and purée. The mixture is cooked for a bit, and it is added to the roasting dish with the duck legs until the cabbage caramelizes on top. Once done, the dish is often garnished with chopped green chili peppers before serving.Expand

Canard aux cerises is a traditional dish made with duck and sour cherries as the main ingredients. Other ingredients include carrots, onions, duck fat (or lard), white wine, seasonings, and aromatic herbs such as bay leaves, parsley, celery, and thyme. The duck is browned in fat with the carrots and onions over very low heat. The wine, herbs, and seasonings are added to the pot, followed by water, until the duck is fully immersed. The dish is simmered until the meat becomes tender, and the duck is then removed, the fat and the juices are skimmed and strained, then returned to the pot with sour cherries. Before serving, the duck is carved, while the sauce and the cherries are ladled over the meat. Expand

Canard à l'orange is a traditional dish in which a duck is roasted, then served with a rich brown sauce that's flavored with sugar and orange juice. The dish is typically made with a duck breast known as Magret – which comes from a force-fed duck that was raised for the production of foie gras. This type of duck breast is a bit bigger, about twice the size of a normal duck breast. The duck should be cooked so that it still remains pink on the inside, and the accompanying sauce consists of red wine vinegar, orange juice, sugar, chicken stock, and sugar. The dish is usually garnished with orange pieces on the side. It is believed that canard à l'orange was exported to France by Catherine de Medici. However, some believe that the dish goes back to ancient Middle East, as typical meals from that area often pair meat with fruit.Expand

Juleand is a traditional meat dish originating from Denmark and it consists of roasted duck that's traditionally made for Christmas. The dish is made with a combination of duck, salt, pepper, apples, shallots, plums, prunes, onions, thyme, and oil. It is often combined with roasted vegetables such as carrots, and celery, and a gravy that usually consists of butter, flour, and port, sweet vermouth, or dry red wine. The bird is rubbed with salt and pepper, and then stuffed with a mixture of apples, shallots, prunes, thyme, and pepper. It's rubbed with oil, chilled in the fridge, and then roasted in the oven over vegetables. Once done, the roasting juices are deglazed with the port and a gravy is made with butter and flour. The duck is served with the vegetables and gravy, and it's usually garnished with thyme.Expand