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The main dish, Regional

Duck breast with porcini mushrooms and potato galette

This dish combines a rosy seared duck breast, porcini mushrooms sautéed with garlic and parsley, and a crisp potato galette, for 6 people. It takes 40 minutes of active work, with most of it prepped in the morning for same day serving, at medium difficulty for about €6.40 per person. The key is starting the duck in a cold pan and pressing the galette well before browning it.

A rosy duck breast with sautéed porcini, alongside a golden potato galette, the classic of fall dinners.

Duck breast with porcini mushrooms and potato galette
For
6 people
Work
40 min
Total time
1 h 15
Prep
Prepared the same day
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€6.40
Calories per person
840 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Duck breast with porcini is the dish that smells like October the moment it hits the table. The crackling skin contrasts with the rosy meat inside, the porcini bring their woodsy depth, and the golden, crisp potato galette soaks up all the juices. It is a classic countryside dish that needs no fancy technique, just a bit of planning ahead.

It is the right dish for a dinner with friends or a family meal on a fall evening, when porcini are in season and you want a generous menu without spending the whole evening at the stove. Serve it with a simple starter, a green salad or a soup, and keep dessert light, this main is already rich enough.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before Nothing to do
  2. The same day 3 steps
  3. Before the guests arrive 2 steps, 28 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step, 17 min

In the morning, cook and cool the potatoes, prep the garlic and parsley, thaw the porcini, and score the duck breasts, then keep everything chilled. Just before your guests arrive, brown the galette and sauté the porcini, leaving only the duck to cook once everyone is seated. At serving time, cook the duck eight minutes then four, let it rest five minutes while you reheat the galette, and slice it in front of your guests.

The ingredients

6 people

Butcher

  • Duck breasts 3

Frozen foods

  • Frozen porcini mushrooms 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Waxy potatoes 1.2 kg
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Dairy

  • Egg 1
  • Butter 50 g

Pantry

  • Oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Fleur de seloften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Eggs, Lactose

The recipe, moment by moment

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Cook the potatoes whole for ten minutes in salted water, let them cool, then keep them chilled.

    They need to stay firm, otherwise the galette falls apart when grated.

  2. Chop the garlic and parsley for the persillade, and thaw the porcini in the fridge.

    Pat the thawed porcini dry with a towel, they release a lot of water.

  3. Score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern, without cutting into the meat, and season.

    A sharp knife, cuts spaced about a centimeter apart, helps the fat render better.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Take the duck breasts out of the fridge half an hour ahead, grate the potatoes, mix them with the egg, season with salt and pepper, and brown the galette in butter in a skillet. 20 min

    Press the grated potatoes well, a galette that is too wet will not turn crisp.

  2. Sauté the porcini over high heat with a bit of butter until golden, adding the persillade at the end. 8 min

    Add the garlic only at the end so it does not burn.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Cook the duck breasts skin side down for eight minutes, flip for four minutes, let rest five minutes, then slice and serve with the porcini and the galette. 17 min

    Pour the fat from the pan over the galette, it is pure magic.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick duck breasts that are thick and similar in size, they will cook evenly and you will slice them into neater rosy pieces.
  • Do not toss the duck fat rendered during cooking, strain it and keep it in the fridge, it makes excellent sautéed potatoes another night.
  • If you are hosting more than six, count one duck breast per two guests and scale up the porcini, you can cook the galette in two batches.

The variations

  • Swap the frozen porcini for button mushrooms or chanterelles depending on what you find, the flavor shifts but the method stays the same.
  • For a vegetarian version of the meal, serve the potato galette and porcini with a thick roasted celery root steak instead of the duck.
  • For kids or a quicker version, pair the galette with pan seared chicken cutlets, still satisfying and milder in flavor.

What to serve it with

  • A mâche and walnut salad to start
  • A glass of red wine from Bergerac or Cahors
  • A thin apple tart to finish

Storage

Leftovers keep for two days in the fridge in a sealed container, with duck, porcini and galette stored separately. Reheat the galette in a skillet to keep it crisp, and warm the duck gently in a pan or oven so it does not overcook. Freezing is not recommended, the duck would lose its tenderness and the galette its texture.

Questions about this recipe

Can I use fresh porcini instead of frozen?

Yes, if you can find them, just wipe them clean with a cloth rather than washing them, and slice them into strips. They release less water than frozen ones, so they will cook a bit faster.

How do you know when the duck breast is cooked just right?

Count eight minutes skin side down, then four minutes on the other side for a rosy result, and check by touch, the meat should still feel springy. Always let it rest five minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute.

How do you keep the galette from falling apart while cooking?

Press the grated potatoes firmly in your hands or a kitchen towel to remove excess water before mixing in the egg. A galette that is too wet will not hold together and can break when you flip it.

What is a nice way to plate this for guests?

Slice the duck breast on a diagonal into even pieces and fan them over wedges of the galette, with the porcini scattered around. A drizzle of the cooking fat over everything adds shine and flavor.

Can a duck breast with porcini mushrooms and its potato galette be made ahead?

Yes, during the day. The recipe needs 40 min of work in total, split up like this, the same day, 3 steps, before the guests arrive, 2 steps, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a duck breast with porcini mushrooms and its potato galette?

Allow 1 h 15 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 40 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a duck breast with porcini mushrooms and its potato galette?

About 840 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a duck breast with porcini mushrooms and its potato galette cost?

About €6.40 per person, that's €38.40 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, lactose. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

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