Duck a l’Orange
Food offers the perfect opportunity to create nostalgia with dishes like steak Diane, chicken Kiev and coq au vin synonymous with the 1970’s. Many of these dishes have stood the test of time and though perhaps not very trendy they are true oldies but goldies! Duck a l’Orange is a classic. I recommend using duck breasts instead of a full bird, as the meat content on a duck can be surprisingly low.
Serves 4
4 free range duck breasts with skin on.
4 oranges – zest and juice 3, segment the remaining orange
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of honey
200ml of soy sauce
Olive oil
60g of cold butter, diced
Salt and black pepper
Using a sharp knife, make criss-cross cuts into the skin and fat of the duck breasts, making sure not to cut into the flesh. In a bowl mix the zest and juice from the 3 oranges, cinnamon, honey and soy sauce. Place the duck breasts in a dish, skin side up. Pour over the sauce, cover and leave to marinade in the fridge over night.
Next day, heat a little oil in a thick-based frying pan and when hot add the duck breasts skin side down. Turn the heat down to medium and fry for 8 – 10 minutes or until the skin is crisp and brown and the fat has started to melt from under the skin. Pour out any excess fat. Turn the breasts and cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes, depending on how you like the meat cooked. Add the orange segments (pith removed) and the remaining marinade, increase the heat and allow the liquid to reduce by a quarter. Remove the duck, season the liquid, add the butter and whisk to make the sauce. Serve with new potatoes, carrot puree and green beans.
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