Classic Duck a l'Orange

This recipe is loosely based on Emeril Lagasse's Duck a l'Orange from 2000, instructions have been modified

Duck a l'Orange is one of the dishes that introduced Americans to French food.

Food historians tell us the practice of pairing of citrus fruits with fatty meat is thousands of years old, likely originating in the Middle East. Examples are found in many cultures and cuisines. The acid in the fruit counteracts the fat in the meat, making the dish more enjoyable and digestible. Think: pork & applesauce; goose & cherry sauce, fish & lemon, and duck a l'orange.

As the name suggests, Duck a l'Orange, likely originated in France. Grand masters of classic French cuisine roasted ducks, noting the practice was revived from earlier times. La Varenne [1651] does not offer a recipe for Duck a l'Orange in his Cuisiner Francois. His duck is graced with a spicy pepper sauce. The earliest French recipes we find conbining ducks and oranges were published in the 19th century.

Duck à l'orange pairs beautifully with simple, complementary sides that cut the richness, like creamy mashed potatoes, wild rice, or roasted root vegetables, alongside crisp green beans, asparagus, or a fresh salad with acidic dressing, letting the tangy orange sauce shine without overwhelming it. Think earthy flavors, buttery textures, and bright greens to balance the duck's richness.

Daniel Gritzer, of Serious Eats, says:

"Duck à l'orange is one of those dishes that's been bastardized to the point where many renditions now bare little resemblance to the original, often featuring roasted duck doused in an overly sweet orangey glop. The sauce, classically known as sauce bigarade [named for the bitter orange that's meant to flavor it, also sometimes sold as Seville oranges], is traditionally made with bitter oranges. . . The use of bitter oranges is essential to achieving the authentic, complex flavor of sauce bigarade, which is impossible to replicate with standard sweet oranges. . . The truth is the sauce is meant to be made with bitter oranges, and any substitute should aim for that same original flavor. . . That [classic] version is as follows: One roast duck, skin crackling and crisp; alongside or spooned over the top, a brown sauce made from a base of beef or veal stock, flavored with the juice and zest of bitter oranges and sharpened with a sweet-sour gastrique made from sugar and wine vinegar."

FMM: This is the best orange sauce we have made for duck to date. We zested fresh oranges, but used purchase orange juice. We did not use Peychaud Bitters and substituted Triple Sec for the Grand Marnier. Daniel Gritzer in his recipe, said the way you cook the duck is not as important as getting a nice crackling, crisp skin on it, that the flesh will always be well done. ". . .unlike so many other roasts, where nailing a specific internal temperature is your goal, the key to a delicious whole roast duck is getting the skin just right. It should crisp on the outside and melt within, enough of the fat should render away that it doesn't overwhelm the flesh." His orange sauce is too involved for me to make (make a brown broth from meat bones, add duck parts and further cook down, make a gastique, then add the citrus) when this recipe is so good and a lot simpler.

1 (5-pound) duck, cleaned, with innards, wing tips and excess fat removed
2 oranges, zested and juiced, orange rinds reserved

For the Orange Sauce: [just make 1/2 recipe]
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, about 6 oranges (including the 2 oranges zested above) orange rinds reserved
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Peychaud Bitters (see note below) [we did not have, so left out]
1 1/2 cups duck or chicken stock, heated
2 tablespoons arrowroot dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water (or corn starch)
1/2 cup Grand Marnier liqueur (or use Triple Sec)

Prepare the Duck:

Clean and prepare the duck according to the directions in the Crisp Slow-Roasted Duck recipe. You will be stuffing the duck with oranges, per this recipe, and leaving out the garlic and thyme in the Crisp Slow-Roasted Duck recipe.

Zest 2 oranges. Squeeze enough oranges to make 2 cups of juice (about 6) and set aside (will be used for orange sauce). [I usually juice the two oranges that were zested and add store-bought orange juice to make 2 cups juice.] Roughly chop the orange rinds and place in the cleaned duck cavity. Place the stuffed duck on a baking rack over a baking pan with 1/2-inch of water.

Baking the Duck:

Bake according to the instructions in the Crisp Slow-Roasted Duck recipe until the skin is crisp and the duck reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Add more water as it evaporates.

Simmer the giblets in water to make duck broth to use in the sauce.

To Make the Sauce:

[This makes a lot of sauce, although it is good mixed in Wild Rice w/ Mushrooms & Pecans, which I usually make with it. Cut recipe at least in 1/2.]

While the duck is roasting, in a medium heavy saucepan combine the orange juice, zest and sugar over medium high heat and reduce to 3/4 cup. Add Peychaud Bitters to orange juice gastrique and set aside.

Add hot duck stock [or chicken stock] and Grand Marnier liqueur to reduced orange gastrique and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes to reduce. Add arrowroot mixture, to thicken.

Remove duck from roasting pan, and remove the fat from pan. Remove orange rinds from duck cavity. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Serve with the orange sauce on the side. An excellent side to Duck a l'Orange is Wild Rice w/ Mushrooms & Pecans.

Note: Bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines. They commonly have an alcoholic strength of 45% ABV and are used as digestifs and as flavoring in cocktails. The word "bitters" derives from the fact that it does not contain added sugar or sweetener despite being strongly flavored. The flavor of Angostura bitters, Suze and Peychaud's Bitters derives primarily from gentian, a bitter herb. Peychaud's Bitters is comparable to Angostura bitters, but with a lighter body, sweeter taste and more floral aroma.

2 - 3 servings