Duck à l’orange recipe (2024)

Duck à l'orange is a classic that has evolved with an abundance of interpretations over the years. One thing that remains constant is the deep satisfaction that comes from cooking a whole duck. Begin this recipe a day ahead.

Jul 12, 2022 4:56am

By Dominic Smith

  • 30 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 30 mins cooking (plus cooling, resting)
  • Serves 4 - 6
  • Duck à l’orange recipe (1)

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We can't blame you if you put duck à l'orange on the "food from the '60s" shelf and promptly forgot about it... until now. With a sweet citrus sauce that cuts perfectly through the rich duck, balanced by a fresh, punchy salad; we're here to remind you how good duck à l'orange can really be.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole duck (2kg)
  • 250 gm caster sugar
  • 250 ml (1 cup) fresh orange juice, strained
  • 1 orange, rind peeled and segmented

Orange sauce

  • 2 tbsp Cognac
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 250 ml (1 cup) beef jus (see note)

Salad

  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 2 tbsp each white wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
  • 40 gm baby mâche (see note)
  • 2 small pears, thinly sliced lengthways
  • 2 golden shallots, shaved
  • Picked frisée, to serve

Method

  • 1

    Pat dry duck with paper towel, tie legs together and place on a wire rack over a roasting pan. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry out skin.

  • 2

    To make orange glaze, place sugar, juice and peel in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally with a metal spoon until slightly syrupy (10-12 minutes). Set aside and cool to room temperature; glaze will thicken slightly on cooling; reserve 2 tbsp glaze in a small bowl for orange sauce.

  • 3

    Preheat oven to 160°C. Remove duck from fridge 30 minutes before cooking and brush with a little remaining orange glaze. Roast, basting frequently with remaining glaze and rotating duck in oven, until skin begins to turn golden (1 hour).

  • 4

    Increase oven to 200°C and continue to roast duck, basting until deep golden (15 minutes). If legs and wings start to burn, cover them with foil. Remove duck from oven, brush with remaining glaze; rest for 20 minutes before carving.

  • 5

    Meanwhile, for orange sauce, place Cognac in a small saucepan over medium heat; reduce by half (1-2 minutes). Add vinegar and reduce by half again (1-2 minutes). Stir in reserved 2 tbsp orange glaze with beef jus; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until sauce has slightly thickened (3-5 minutes). Season; set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.

  • 6

    For salad, whisk orange juice and zest in a large bowl with vinegar, oil and thyme; season to taste. When ready to serve add orange segments, mâche, pear and shallots, and toss to combine, transfer to a serving bowl.

  • 7

    To serve, carve duck and divide among plates with salad. Serve with sauce and frisée on the side.

Notes

Baby mâche, or lamb's lettuce, is available from select greengrocers. If unavailable, substitute watercress. To check duck is cooked, use a digital thermometer; the internal temperature should be 75˚C. Beef jus is available from select supermarkets and speciality food shops.

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Duck à l’orange recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook duck al orange? ›

Season liberally with salt and pepper both inside and out, then stuff the cavity with the garlic, orange half, and thyme. Set the duck, breast-side down, in the pan and roast for 1-1/2 hours. Transfer the duck to a baking sheet.

What is orange duck sauce made of? ›

Make sauce: In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, chicken broth, and orange marmalade. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

What is the meaning of duck a l orange? ›

Duck à l'orange, orange duck, or canard à l'orange is a French dish in cuisine bourgeoise consisting of a roast duck with a bigarade sauce. Duck à l'orange.

Can you buy ready made orange sauce for duck? ›

A delicious ready made orange sauce to go with duck, game, chicken and pork.

What is a good side dish for duck a l orange? ›

I like to serve duck à l'orange with a simple green salad and steamed rice, to soak up all the sauce, though potatoes or crusty bread work well too.

How is duck supposed to be cooked? ›

While the USDA recommends cooking duck to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165° F (74° C) to avoid the potential risk of salmonella poisoning, restaurants often serve duck medium-rare. Since duck has dark meat and tight muscle fibers, these muscles are often cooked much like beef for tender results.

Why do Chinese restaurants give you duck sauce? ›

Despite its name, the sauce is not prepared using duck meat; rather it is named as such because it is a common accompaniment to Chinese-style duck dishes. Wonton strips served with duck sauce and hot mustard at an American Chinese restaurant.

What is the duck sauce killer? ›

According to the attorney, Hirsch committed suicide by shooting himself. The 51-year-old had been charged with stalking and murdering Zhiwen Yan, 45, a delivery worker, after a series of complaints over duck sauce. The murder has since been referred to as the "duck sauce killer" case.

What's the difference between duck sauce and hoisin sauce? ›

They are two different kinds of sauces. Hoisin contains soya sauce, while duck sauce includes a mix of fruits. However, they both taste sweet, and you can use them to substitute for each other. Hoisin sauce is a bit saltier than duck sauce but equally delicious.

What country did duck a L orange come from? ›

Or, at least, that's one version of the story of the origins of this dish—one that Italians are certainly fond of. According to history, Catherine de' Medici introduced some proto-duck à l'orange to France in 1533, when she moved there with her retinue of cooks to marry the Duke of Orléans.

What wine goes with duck a l'orange? ›

Duck a l'Orange

Try this recipe with our Whole Duck or our Roast Half Duck. This recipe pairs wonderfully with a French Pinot Noir.

Who created duck a L orange? ›

Of course, that's all up for debate, as are the recipe's actual origins: Some say that Florentine noblewoman Catherine de' Medici brought duck à l'orange to France when she married the Duke of Orléans in 1533; others argue serving a whole duck with orange sauce seems awfully similar to the ancient Persian practice of ...

What is the difference between orange sauce and duck sauce? ›

I must confess that until I decided to make homemade Orange Sauce, aka Duck Sauce, I'd always assumed it was made with oranges. But it turns out it's called Orange Sauce because of the color of the sauce rather than the ingredients.

What is another name for duck sauce? ›

Also called plum sauce, it got its name when restaurants in the United States started serving it with Peking Duck, which is actually traditionally served with a similar sauce, hoisin (which also has a confusing name since hoisin means “seafood,” although it's not traditionally served with that).

How long does homemade duck sauce last in the fridge? ›

Add more rice vinegar if you like your sauce slightly tart. You can also thin it out further with a little bit of hot water if you'd like a thinner consistency. This duck sauce should last in the fridge for several months.

How do you cook duck without drying it out? ›

Duck legs are traditionally 'confit', this means they are salted overnight and then submerged in duck fat and cooked slowly so they are preserved by the fat. Because the cooking method is low and slow the meat remains succulent and doesn't dry out, and the fat isn't absorbed so the meat isn't fatty.

How long should you cook duck for? ›

Roast (whole duck: 2 ¼ hours for ducks weighing 1.75-2 kg, 2 ¾ hours for ducks weighing 2.5-3 kg; breasts, 30 mins). Dry fry, grill or barbecue (3-4 mins on each side).

How do you cook a store bought duck? ›

Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
  2. Remove duck from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking to ensure uniformed cooking. ...
  3. Season. ...
  4. Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours.
  5. Remove the aluminium foil and continue cooking uncover for 30 to 40 minutes to make the skin crispy and brown.

What do you soak duck in before cooking? ›

By definition, a brine is simply a mix of water and salt. Some like adding seasoning to the brine, but that is a matter of personal taste. Blood is drawn out when wild game meat is soaked in the brine, and the brine penetrates the meat. The result is milder, more tender meat for your favorite recipe.

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