Thank You!

Cooking a duck with such a “presse” is a typical recipe from Rouen (Normandy, France).
This recipe was created for the former French President Felix Faure (1841-1899)
If you ever want to experience a “Canard à la presse” or “canard à la rouennaise” (Rouen style duck), or “canard Felix faure” , and if you have any opportunity coming to France, then stop to Rouen, there, facing the wonderfull Liberty style railway station, is a restaurant: “Le Quatre Saisons” (the 4 seasons). This is the restaurant of the Best-Western “Hotel de Dieppe”. “hotel.dieppe@hoteldedieppe.fr” . For more than 30 years, they have been (also) cooking the famous “Canard à la Presse”, they still cook it perfectly. Mr Gueret was there one of the most famous specialist of this recipe.
Using such a press and cooking this specific recipe means you get special training to, there is in France a famous association about which you can get everything on its web-site : http://www.canardiers.asso.fr … unfortunately not yet in English.

Best regards from Paris

Frederic VITALIS

ps: such a press-ducks are quite rare to find here in France, (new one yes, but far beeing as nice as the one presented above). 6 days ago in Drouot action sales in Paris such a nice press was sold: 3.500 euros + 23% costs… I gave up.

Jack, the tall, distinguished, tuxedoed maitre d’ commanded the room. After the red draped serving table containing the the press, the duck, the unmarked bottles and saute equipment was wheeled from the kitchen, Jack would appear to work his magic. Carve, press, blend, saute, serve…..eloquent.
The the brest, thigh and leg were placed on a bed of wild rice with a halo of baby green peas. The perfect amount of “Jack’s secret sauce” was spooned over the duck. I have never experienced a flavor as incredible as this tantilizing my taste buds….not even in Paris.

I would describe the beautiful dining room but I’m running out of time.

Gina, after Paul’s closed, the Los Feliz Inn, now closed also I think, began serving pressed duck on Tuesday evenings. I imagine they acquired one of Paul’s presses. As to the original press, I hope you can locate and acquire your treasure. The LA Times archives may be a source to investigate. If you have the recipe for Jack’s sauce, I would love to have it.

If I could afford a duck press I would be strangling a duck at least once a month.

Must sign off. I feel the tears welling up again.

Twelve years or so later, in 1968, I was in Paris with my Tahitian wife and, yet again, my mother. It was her birthday and to celebrate we went to the Tour d’Argent, where, of course, we once again ate the pressed duck. It was OK, but, to our tastes, a little too gamy because of the blood in the sauce. We had an enormous 4-course meal with drinks, then two or three bottles of *superb* wine — I just looked it up in my Michelin Guide and, hold on to your hats, we paid $80 for everything, an *enormous* price at the time, for the meal. Today it would be well over a thousand, I think, considering the wines we had. Maybe even two thousand.

Then, in 1980, my French wife and I made a pilgrimage to the Couronne in Rouen, supposedly the oldest restaurant in Europe, where Julia Child had filmed her show about pressed duck. Once again we had the pressed duck. I *still* wasn’t blown away by it but my wife, who was a wonderful French cook and gourmet, didn’t like it at all. Except for the crispy skin and the portions served first without the sauce. The pommes soufflees, however, were delicious, as was the duck terrine and chocolate mousse….