Normandy cuisine is renowned for its “Four C’s”: Cider, Calvados, Cream, and Camembert. But after my time there, I would add a “Fifth C,” which is “Canard,” specifically referring to “pressed duck,” or “blood duck” (French: canard à la presse, canard à la rouennaise, canard au sang ), as pictured below. If you’re ever in Rouen, France, trying pressed duck is a must.
Why is it called pressed duck
The recipe calls for a “duck press,” which is a device used to extract the blood and marrow from a duck carcass. This “fluid” is then utilized to finish the sauce. That’s correct—the bloody carcass of a duck is stuffed into a duck press and the blood and marrow are squeezed out. The fluid is then used to enrich the sauce accompanying the duck breast. Yummy! Particularly if your name rhymes with “psittacula.”
Pressed duck basic rules
Pressed duck is served throughout Normandy and in many restaurants around the world with some variation, but following four basic rules.
First, the duck has to be suffocated. You heard that right. The duck has to be suffocated. Crazy, right? Who would think of such a thing? Answer: the same people who gave the world foie gras: the French. Unlike the goose, the duck is not force-fed. But like the goose, the duck is killed by strangulation (asphyxiation).
Why? So the blood remains inside the tissues so that it can be squeezed out later, along with the marrow, by the duck press. You’ve got to love the French. They will do anything for a better meal or at least a more interesting dining experience.
Second, the duck must be cooked for only 17 to 20 minutes so it remains bloody.
Third, the duck limbs and breasts are removed and set aside, then returned to the kitchen for further preparation.
Fourth, the bloody duck carcass is cut up and stuffed into the duck press to extract the blood and marrow, pictured below.
Finally, the fluid is used to thicken the sauce (French: fond rouennais).
Order of the Duckers
I did not make all this up. The recipe is codified by an organization called the “Ordre Des Canardiers” (English: “Order of the Duckers”), whose members’ sole purpose is to protect, preserve, and transmit the recipe for pressed duck and to maintain the integrity of its service.
The “Ordre Des Canardiers” consists of two main classes of members.
The first class includes professionals who prepare and serve Pressed Duck in their establishments, known as “Maitres Canardiers.”
The second class is composed of “Ambassadors,” gourmets who appreciate the recipe and share the order’s objectives. There is also a third class called “Honorary Canardiers.” For instance, the mayor of Rouen is automatically designated as a Grand Honorary Canardier. (However, I don’t think I would want him or her to prepare and serve my Pressed Duck.)
The members of the “Ordre Des Canardiers” receive and wear a stylish medal featuring the order’s insignia. The “Maitres Canardiers” chefs wear this medal during tableside service.
Today, the “Ordre Des Canardiers” has members worldwide.
Where to find pressed duck
First, you have to decide where to get pressed duck. As mentioned above, pressed duck is served in fine restaurants all around the world by “Maitres Canardiers.” I was in Rouen, the “Holy See” of pressed duck.
In Rouen and its environs, four restaurants serve pressed duck: Le Café Victor, Les Capucines, La Couronne, and Le Restaurant Le Parc. Le Café Victor and Les Capucines are in Rouen proper, while La Couronne and Le Restaurant Le Parc are outside Rouen.
I had visited Les Capucines, founded in 1345 and famous as the restaurant where Julia Child had her first French meal. So, I chose Le Café Victor, and it turned out to be a wise decision.
Located in the Hôtel de Dieppe, open in 1880, Café Victor is right next to the Rouen train station. Many people, especially those from Paris, come to enjoy the famous pressed duck, and it truly is a remarkable experience.
Pressed duck requires a reservation
You can’t simply walk into a restaurant and order pressed duck. Once you’ve chosen where to enjoy pressed duck, it’s crucial to make a reservation, typically at least 72 hours in advance, though this timeframe can vary by restaurant. Generally, the minimum service and reservation is for two people. But this may differ by restaurant.
In my case, my wife wasn’t interested in going, so I decided to pay for two and go alone. I emailed Café Victor and followed up with a phone call. I was informed that the chef would return my call, which he did promptly. Together, we set a date and time for my visit.
Pressed duck mise en place
Mise en place is a French term that means “putting in place.” It refers to the preparation necessary before cooking. It is commonly used in professional kitchens to describe the organization and arrangement of ingredients ahead of time, which is essential to prepare and serve pressed duck, or any well-executed recipe for that matter.
The day of the service, my wife and I (my wife decided to go) walked over to Café Victor. When we arrived, we found everything had been prepared (French: préparation du nécessaire): the table selected, the serving cart deployed (see image below), and, of course, the duck press at the ready, off-camera stage right.
The Bordelaise sauce (a.k.a. stock rouennais)
Above, I outline the “basic rules” for pressed duck. Besides the bloody duck and the duck blood, the Bordelaise sauce or “stock rouennais,” which is prepared ahead of time, is essential to the entire meal.
Bordelaise sauce is a classic French sauce named after the Bordeaux region of France, which is famous for its wine. The Bordelaise sauce serves as the base to which pressed duck blood and marrow are added to create the final sauce (fond rouennais). But in this regard, my understanding is that the recipe for Bordelaise sauce varies from chef to chef.
According to the “Order of the Duckers” website, the Bordelaise sauce for pressed duck is made by melting a small piece of butter in a thick-bottomed pan over low heat. When the butter melts and foams, add the shallots and sweat for 2 minutes until translucent. The pan is deglazed with Beaune wine, and thyme and bay leaf are added.
The mixture is reduced until it reaches a glaze, then seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce is set aside to rest for about an hour before the chicken hearts are pressed through a strainer (also known as a Chinois) and added (in the picture above, the Bordelaise sauce is in the little cast-iron pot, covered with a lid).
The Tableside Service (Show)
Everything was ready to go, and the chef came out and presented the partially cooked duck, known as the “Blood Duck.”
First, using just a carving knife and fork, the chef skillfully removed the legs, breasts, and other pieces of meat from the duck without using their hands, showcasing their carving expertise and leaving only a bloody carcass behind.
Second, the Chef flambéd a large glass of cognac, added the stock Rouennais, and heated it just below boiling. Then he squeezed the juice of half a lemon into the mixture, added seven to eight ounces (approximately 200 grams) of butter, and whisked until smooth.
Third, with the stock Rouennais formed, the chef cut up the remaining bloody duck carcass and pressed the pieces in the duck press to extract the blood and marrow (see the picture above). The extracted fluid, he added to the stock Rouennais discussed above, creating the final sauce called “fond Rouennais.”
The chef then exited stage left and returned to the kitchen with the cut duck meat for further preparation. In the kitchen, the breasts are cooked to medium-rare, and, according to the recipe, the wings and thighs are typically spread with mustard, breaded, and grilled. At Cafe Victor, they used the leg and thigh meat to create small skewers, spread with mustard, breaded, and grilled.
As we waited for the duck’s return, we were served a starter which we enjoyed. The Chef then returned to the table with the duck breast, an empty plate, one for each of us, which held the skewers, and a potato garnish.
He then delicately placed slices of the carved duck breast on each of our plates, and before I could say “Holey duck breast,” he used a ladle to smother, and I mean smother, the duck breast on each plate with the “fond Rouennais” and served.
The tableside theatrics were over, and now it was time for the moment of truth: we had to taste the pressed duck, smothered in fond Rouennais. There was no voiding the sauce. My wife and I each took a small piece of duck breast with our forks, slathered it with fond Rouennais, and trepidly raised it to our mouths, taking a bite. THE END.
Overall, for me, pressed duck, like sheep’s head, is a culinary trophy for true food enthusiasts. If you ever have the chance, consider giving it a try.