Roasted Duck in Orange Sauce

I guess that, failing all else, you could always just roast the duck like any other piece of meat and use that little sauce packet that comes with the bird. But where is the fun in that? This is my version of Julia Child's famous recipe, from 1968.

Roast Duck in Orange Sauce (Canard a l'orange)

This is a two-part recipe. In the first part, you stuff the duck with orange peels and roast it in a Reynold's roasting bag. In the second part, you make an orange glaze from the drippings. Finally, you combine the two into a beautiful dish that will impress everyone...even those who claim to "hate duck."

Orange Roasted Duck

1 medium duckling (4 to 5 pounds), thawed and rinsed
4 large navel oranges
Salt and pepper

First, prepare the duck. Remove and discard the giblets from the body cavity. Remove all loose fat from inside the neck cavity, and remove the wishbone from the front of the breast (to make carving easier.) Make sure that the yellow fat glands at the base of the tail have been removed, along with any remaining yellow residue, and rub that area with lemon juice and salt. Prick the skin all over at half-inch intervals with a thin needle.

Peel the oranges using a vegetable peeler, collecting the colorful part of the rind with as little of the white pith as possible. Simmer this orange peel in water for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set the oranges and half of the simmered peels aside for the glaze (below).

Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and stuff with half of the simmered orange peels. Close the cavity, truss the legs and wings close to the body, and place the bird in a roasting bag. Finally, put the bagged bird into a roasting pan. Roast according to the roasting bag's cooking chart until done.

Remove the duck from the roasting bag. Ladel away the fat, and collect 2 cups of the duck stock and drippings. Keep the duck warm until ready to glaze...but work quickly. You don't want the duck to dry out.

Orange Glaze

3 T. sugar
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
2 C. hot duck stock (from the roasted duck)
4 T. cornstarch
1/2 C. dry port
Simmered orange peels (from above)
Peeled oranges (from above)
1 oz. orange liquor (Grand Mariner)
Angostura bitters

Cut the oranges into 1/2" thick slices, and cut away the skin and membrane from the outside of each slice. Finally cut these slices into 1/2" cubes. Place the orange cubes into a tightly-sealed plastic container, and refrigerate until needed.

Cut the orange peels into thin strips, then chop into fine squares. Set aside.

Place the sugar and vinegar into a small saucepan, and stir until dissolved. Boil rapidly over high heat until the mixture turns a caramel-brown color, and immediately wisk in half of the duck stock. Return the mixture to a boil, then add the chopped orange peels, 1 cup of the cubed orange slices, the orange liquor, and the remaining duck stock. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Blend the cornstarch with the port. While wisking constantly, add this mixture to the simmering duck stock, and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Taste the sauce; if it is too sweet balance it by adding a little of the bitters.

Canard a l'Orange

Arrange the roasted duck on a serving dish, piling the remaining cubed orange at either end. Pour the sauce in a warmed gravy boat, spooning some over the duck. Garnish with orange slices, and serve.

Recommended wines: Bordeaux-Medoc or white Bordeaux.