Is There a Difference Between the Duck Breast and the Magret?

While shopping for duck meat, like on our online butcher shop, you might have seen some interesting products that seem completely delicious.

Two of these products might as well look slightly the same to you. We’re talking here about the duck breast and the duck magret. Those two cuts look like they resemble, but there are however some differences. Here they are!

Origin

For starters, let’s talk about the origin of each cut. The breast, sometimes also called the supreme, as well as the magret, come from the animal’s chest, the breast. So far, no difference, right?

But the magret comes from a duck’s breast that has been fattened and force-fed. These ducks are fed this way to provide foie gras (liver).

The breast, or supreme, is from a regular duck that hasn’t been force-fed.

Fat

We can also talk about the fat that differs. Magret will have much more fat on the top. Regular breast’s fat layer is thinner than the magret.

Why is that? Once again, it’s because magret comes from force-fed duck, so it’s fatter.

However, both layers of fat will reduce – melt – when you’ll cook it. 

Color

Concerning the colour, there again, the meat cuts aren’t the same, but the difference is subtle. Magret has a darker red colour, while the regular breast has a pink hue.

Tenderness

Probably one of the most interesting distinction is about the tenderness of each product. The magret, due to the fact that it’s fatter, will be much more tender than the breast coming from a duck that hasn’t been force-fed.

Maillard, online butcher shop

You can now make a choice between duck breast and magret. And if you’re really not able to choose, why not try both?