Duck in orange sauce
==================== 2023-12-21 *


Comment: recipe created by René Lasserre (1812 - 2006), still served at the Lasserre restaurant in Paris. Here is the recipe as given by its author (source Wikipedia):
« The duck is pan-fried in butter and cooked gently for 45 minutes, then simmered for a few more minutes with 10 cl of Grand Marnier. Caramelize the cooking juice over high heat with a tablespoon of sugar, one of wine vinegar, and a small ladle of orange juice. The duck is dressed, edged with a few spoonfuls of skimmed sauce, surrounded by orange segments cooked with the cooking juices separately in the frying pan. ».

You must be careful not to overcook the duck which must remain pink (but not rare).

Orange supremes are orange segments removed from their skin, see at 7:30 mins.

Mainly inspired by: La meilleure façon de réussir son canard à l'orange - The best way to make a successful duck à l'orange

A duck (2 to 3 kg) can serve 4. A duck is essentially 2 legs and 2 breasts.

Ingredients:
------------

1 duck 2 to 3 kg
150 g carrots (a little more for a large duck)
150 g onions (a little more for a large duck)
bouquet garni (1 sprig of thyme, 1 bay leaf)
50 cl thickened brown stock or bound veal stock or, if necessary, chicken stock or, better still, duck stock
50 g sugar
5 cl red wine vinegar
400 g orange (3 oranges - 1 medium orange is ~150 g)
5 cl Grand Marnier or Cointreau
butter
S+P

Preparation:
------------

Wash, dry and trim the duck, empty it of its ofals. Remove excess fat, cut the tips of the wings.
Salt and pepper the inside of the duck and tie it up, see for example: How to Truss a Duck.
Cut the carrots into oblique slices ~3 to 4 mm
Coarsely chop the onion
While the duck cooks:
Prepare the sugar in a small saucepan.
Squeeze the juice of an orange (at least 5 cl)
Prepare the orange supremes (1 large orange)

Cooking:
--------

Preheat he oven at 180C CT or 200C.
Put 40+ g of butter in a casserole dish fitted with a lid, then spread the onion and carrots over the bottom.
Salt and pepper the duck (cavity and exterior) and place it on the vegetables. Cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes (40 minutes for a large duck).

Meanwhile, prepare a fairly dark caramel with the sugar and just enough water to soak the sugar. Push the caramelization beyond a standard caramel for dessert (be careful it goes quickly at the end).

Add the vinegar and orange juice, cook, stirring until a syrupy consistency, then add the thickened stock, thyme and bay leaf and simmer over low heat for ~10 minutes. Check the seasonning.

After 30 (or 40) minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking for 20 minutes to give it color. The temperature at the thigh joint should reach 55C (it continues to rise, while it rests, to around 58 - 60C). 60C is a bit too much.

Remove the duck and place it on a rack covered with aluminum foil.

Normally, duck will render quite a bit of fat. With a fork, or a skimmer, fish out the onions and carrots and place them in the orange sauce (typically, there is not much duck juice to deglaze).

Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, then pass it (fine strainer) into a casserole dish over low heat. Add the zest of an orange and the Grand Marnier. After 2 or 3 minutes over low heat, remove from the heat, add 2 knobs of butter and the orange supremes, let them warm up for a few minutes.

Cut the duck (2 legs, 2 breasts), serve with the sauce and a few orange segments.