Duck à l'orange
If you can find bitter oranges (Seville oranges), use them and eliminate the lemon. Decadent duck fat is precious, save it, for example, to make roasted potatoes.
Apart from thickening with cornstarch, all other steps in the preparation of the sauce can be done in advance. We suggest using arrowroot powder (available in specialized grocery stores or Asian markets), it adds a smooth texture to the sauce. If you can’t find this product, use cornstarch.
Ingredients
- 1 duck
- 2 Tbsp French Four Spice blend
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 thyme branch
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 celery branch
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 orange
- 1 cup white wine
Orange sauce
- 4 oranges
- ½ cup Grand Marnier OR orange liqueur
- 1 lemon
- 1 shallot
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup wine vinegar
- 2 cups chicken stock OR water
- 4 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce (opt.)
Orange sauce
-
1
Using a peeler, remove the orange zest, avoid removing the pith. Cut the zests into juliennes.
-
2
Place the zests into a small pan. Cover generously with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
-
3
Drain the juliennes and rinse well under cold water.
-
4
Transfer the orange zests into a jar or a bowl then add Grand Marnier. Cover.
-
5
Peel two oranges and set aside to decorate the duck when serving.
-
6
Extract the lemon juice and that of the two remaining oranges. Set aside.
-
7
Finely chop shallots. Pour the sugar and vinegar into a pan and reduce until dry. Caramelize then once the sugar becomes very dark, just before beginning to burn, incorporate the shallots. Cook for a few seconds, then add chicken stock.
-
8
Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add orange juice and zests with the Grand Marnier. Cook for two minutes.
-
9
Sprinkle the arrowroot in 3 Tbsp of cold water. Remove the sauce from the heat and incorporate by mixing constantly. Bring to a boil and add a sprinkle or more of arrowroot or cornstarch if the sauce isn’t thick enough. Set aside.
Duck
-
1
Heat the oven to 425 °F. Pat dry the duck using a paper towel.
-
2
Grind the spices, then mix with salt in a small bowl.
-
3
Rub the duck, inside and out with the spice blend. Place the thyme branch and bay leaves into the duck cavity.
-
4
Dice the celery, onion and carrot. Place in a roasting pan. Place the seasoned duck on the mirepoix.
-
5
Cut the orange in two, squeeze and pour the juice on the duck. Rub the orange on the duck, then place the orange halves into the duck cavity.
-
6
Roast the duck in the oven for 45 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 °F and continue cooking for another 45 minutes.
-
7
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place, on top of the stove, for instance. Loosely place aluminum foil over the duck. This step allows the fat to separate and permits the sauce to drain while the duck rests.
-
8
Place the duck on a serving dish. Gently remove the cooking fat from the pan by tilting it delicately over a bowl. Set aside the cooking juice and the mirepoix in the pan.
-
9
Put the roasting pan on medium-high and add white wine and a half cup water. Deglaze by scraping with a spatula. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
-
10
Place a colander on top a bowl. Pour in the contents of the baking dish and remove any vegetable dregs with a spatula.
-
11
Discard the mirepoix. Allow the liquid to rest for two minutes then skim off any fat with a spoon.
Pour the liquid into the sauce. Also pour any juices from the serving dish on to the duck. Taste the sauce and add soy sauce or salt, if necessary. Soy sauce is not a traditional ingredient but, it adds a lovely colour and balance to the sauce. Bring to a boil and pour into a sauce dish.
-
12
Slice the peeled oranges and place around the duck before serving.
