Duck 'a la Orange : My Wing Man

It's official...my husband has caught the "bug"! An avid food lover himself, throughout most of this blog, he's remained on the sideline. A foodie 'wing man' of sorts offering up his expertise only on occasion careful to not be a total "enabler". (Secretly I know he loves it almost as much as I do.) Well, he cracked. Completely competent, he couldn't bear to be the silent sous chef any longer and after a recent trip to the Asian Market, was hellbent on preparing a duck dish. Quail eggs the mission that day, we totally neglected to pick up the mallard and so ensued a wild 'goose' chase to find the perfect young duck. Hours passed and still no luck. It became clear it would have made more sense to have turned around and gone back to the Asian Market. Defeated, exhausted and two disgruntled children in the back, we opted to order pizza and go home. The next day, an obvious trip to Whole Foods solved our problem. (Then doesn't it always!) Finally..."out of the kitchen Woman..." it was Man versus Duck, and there was no question who would reign supreme!



Self proclaimed "duck" novices as far as preparing, we both agreed to start with a classic, Duck a' la Orange. Phil went right to, "The Cooking School at La Campagne" cookbook from the French bistro we used to frequent in Cherry Hill, NJ. Following the recipe exactly, this picture was the stunning result. The orange glisten atop the bird was blinding and the citrusy sweet, roasted aroma intoxicating! As expected, it was super rich and a bit fattier and gamier than we're used to and we both agreed roasted duck's not something we'd crave on a weekly basis. On occasion however, it definitely lends "culinary variety" to the roasted chicken recipes of the world. We were a tad overwhelmed with the orange zest in this particular dish, but in full disclosure Phil had just purchased a fancy new zester and I think may have become overzealous using it. (Something he adamantly denies...??)



The classic Duck a' la Orange was fun to watch being made. Served with hot rice or risotto, haricot vert and a French Pinot, it's the perfect meal to come home to after a long day on the snowy slopes!



To view La Campagne's Website: click here



Duck Photos from the Asian Market:





Duck a' la Orange, From the Cooking School at La Campagne



1 4-5 lb duck

salt and pepper

1/4 cup sugar

2 T water

3 T red wine vinegar

Zest and juice from 6 oranges

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup white wine

2 T red currant jelly

1 t arrowroot

3 T. Triple Sec



Preheat oven to 425. Season duck w/S&P and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 1 hour, basting regularly.



Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil. Stir often and cook until syrup turns a light caramel color. Add vinegar and citrus juices. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.



Remove duck from oven and keep warm on a serving plate. Skim fat from the roasting pan and deglaze the pan with the wine. Transfer pan juices to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add jelly and caramel sauce ad return to a boil. In a small bowl blend arrowroot and Triple Sec. Add to the boiling sauce and cook until sauce is nap (thick enough to coast the back of a spoon). Add orange and lemon zest. Spoon sauce over duck and serve.