Description
Duck à l’Orange is a classic French dish featuring tender, roasted duck served with a vibrant, tangy orange sauce. This recipe walks the fine line of flavors by balancing the rich, crispy duck with a beautifully reduced sauce made from roasted duck trimmings, citrus juice, and a sweet-sour caramel gastrique. It’s a perfect celebratory meal that combines roasting and stovetop sauce preparation for a sophisticated yet approachable dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Duck Preparation
- 1 whole duck (about 5 pounds; 2.25kg)
- Vegetable oil, for drizzling
- Kosher salt
Vegetables for Stock
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large celery rib, diced
Stock and Flavorings
- 2 quarts (2 liters) brown beef or brown chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) tomato paste (optional)
Gastrique Ingredients
- 4 ounces (115g) granulated sugar (about 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Citrus Ingredients
- Zest of 1 navel orange or 2 bitter oranges, cleaned of any white pith and cut into a fine julienne
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh navel orange juice or 1/4 cup (60ml) bitter orange juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (omit if using bitter orange juice)
Seasoning and Finishing
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30g) cold unsalted butter
- Cornstarch or arrowroot (optional, only if needed)
Instructions
- Spatchcock the Duck (optional)
Use poultry shears to remove the backbone by cutting along both sides of the spine, then flip the duck and press down on the breast to flatten it. This step is optional but helps with even roasting. - Trim and Prepare Duck
Trim excess skin from the neck and cavity openings. Cut off wingettes and wing tips at the joint, leaving drumettes attached. Remove neck and giblets from cavity. Refrigerate neck, trimmed wings, and spine for sauce stock; save or discard giblets and skin. - Prick Duck Skin and Blanch
Prick skin all over with a sharp knife without cutting the meat. Wearing heat-safe gloves, dip the duck in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain well and place breast side up on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. - Salt and Refrigerate
Season duck thoroughly inside and out with kosher salt. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 24 hours to dry the skin for crispiness. - Preheat Oven and Roast Trimmings
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss trimmed wings, neck, (and backbone if using) with diced carrots, onions, celery, and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Optionally rub tomato paste over duck and vegetables. Roast until browned, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and avoiding burning. - Simmer Stock
Transfer roasted trimmings and vegetables to a large saucepan with the brown stock. Add boiling water to baking sheet, scrape browned bits, and add to the stock. Simmer gently for 1-2 hours, skimming scum and fat frequently to reduce by half. - Strain and Reduce Stock
Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discard solids, and return liquid to a smaller pan. Simmer gently until reduced to about 1 cup (225ml), about 1-1.5 hours, skimming as needed. Set aside. - Roast the Duck
Increase oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Place duck on wire rack in rimmed tray and roast for 30 minutes to render fat and crisp skin. Then reduce oven to 300°F (150°C) and roast until internal temperature reaches 175°F (79°C) in thickest parts, approximately 45 minutes for spatchcocked duck or 1 hour for whole duck. Remove and rest. - Prepare Gastrique
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water, heat over medium stirring until boiling. Simmer without stirring until syrup turns a deep amber color (7-10 minutes total). Remove from heat and slowly add red wine vinegar in small increments while swirling to avoid boil over. Return to heat, boil briefly, then reduce and simmer 2 minutes. Set aside. - Blanch Orange Zest
Boil about 1 cup water in a clean small saucepan. Add orange zest and simmer 2 minutes for navel orange zest or 15 minutes for bitter orange zest. Drain and set aside. - Reheat Duck
Before serving, return duck to oven for 5-15 minutes to reheat and re-crisp skin. - Make Orange Sauce
Combine navel orange juice and lemon juice (or bitter orange juice if used) with reduced stock in a saucepan, bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce until sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. - Adjust Sauce Flavor
Add gastrique 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting to achieve a balanced sweet-sour profile without overpowering sharpness. You will only need 2-4 teaspoons. Season with salt and pepper. - Finish Sauce
Whisk in cold butter over very low heat until silky. If sauce is too thin, make a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry and whisk in, simmering briefly to thicken. Add blanched orange zest and simmer gently for 1 minute to infuse flavor. - Serve
Carve duck and spoon sauce generously on top or alongside.
Notes
- The sauce is carefully balanced to cut through the rich flavor of the duck without overpowering it, making this dish elegant and delicious.
- Spatchcocking the duck helps achieve a more even, faster roasting but is optional.
- Tomato paste in the stock is optional and adds a deeper color to the sauce.
- Careful handling of the caramel and vinegar mixture is key when making the gastrique to prevent boil overs.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the duck is fully cooked; it should reach 175°F in the thickest parts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 2 to 4 as a main course
- Calories: 2323 kcal
- Sugar: 41 g
- Sodium: 1525 mg
- Fat: 176 g
- Saturated Fat: 61 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 121 g
- Cholesterol: 506 mg
