Andre Daguin was a man committed to the defense of French terroir, the use of good products and above all, put the French region of Gascony on the culinary map.
Chef Andre took at the time, the breast of duck, known then, little-regarded ingredient; used mainly in confits ( meats simmered and preserved in its own fat) into an international sensation, when he decided to grill the breast like a steak. Clients at first thought it was beef when tasted and the news of the new dish sweep not only France, but world wide, it was that revolutionary. Today, grilled duck breast appears in the top spot in surveys of France's favorite dishes and I might be so bold as to say now worldwide favorite.
His philosophy of cooking was always:
'Cooking is simple, it's to put the maximum of taste into the minimum of volume'