Duck a l'Orange

I'm using Julia Child's original Duck a l'Orange as the basis for this. After all, she did introduce it to the world. Naturally, I've made some changes that I've found in other recipes. I've rejected any recipe that called for shortcuts and offered simpler methods at the sacrifice of quality--and there are a LOT out there.

I encourage you to make your own duck stock--and I show you how. You don't have to make it yourself, you can choose to buy it or use a combination of 50/50 chicken and beef stock. However, if you DO decide to make your own stock then just add another 90mins or so to the preparation time.

You need a fat duck for this recipe--at least 2Kg, if possible. This is a slow-roasted duck and the breast meat will be fully cooked which means the sauce is what makes this dish. We'll make a ludicrous amount of the sauce here... because that's what everyone wants, right?

This is one recipe that I've been trying to avoid for a long time. But this week, my wife requested it. It's not that this recipe is ridiculously difficult, it just needs a lot of careful attention to a lot of details. So let's start by getting some tips from the lady herself first (Julia, not my wife)...

Duck Preparation by Julia Child...

Pull out all loose fat from the cavity and from around the neck. To make the carving of the breast meat easier, cut out the wishbone. The lower part of the wing is mostly bone; chop it off at the elbow and add it to the stock pot.

Be sure the fat glands on the back at the base of the tail have been removed, digging out any yellow residue that may remain, and rub the area with salt and lemon juice. To help the layer of subcutaneous duck fat to escape during cooking, prick the skin at 1cm intervals along the thighs, the back, and the lower part of the breast. After seasoning the cavity, or stuffing it, sew or skewer the legs, wings, and neck skin to the body so the bird will make a neat appearance on the table.

Duck has far more carcass and far less meat than a chicken of the same weight. The French method of carving is to make as many thin slices of breast meat as possible, 4 to 6 per side, as follows: After the second joints and drumsticks have been removed, the duck is turned on its side, its tail facing the carver. Thin slices of meat are cut diagonally starting from the lower part of the breast nearest the tail and run-ning toward the breastbone. The same system is used for the other side, cutting in the opposite direction. --Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 Duck, large and fat
• The Duck Stock:
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
• 1/2 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 Carrot, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Rosemary, dried
• 1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
• 4 Allspice Berries, dried
• Duck neck, wings, fatty bits, etc.
• Salt, to taste
• The Duck:
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Onion, cut into wedges
• Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, etc. chopped (optional)
• The Sauce:
• 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups Duck Stock
• 4 Oranges, sweet, ie: Cara Cara (navel)
• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch (Arrowroot)
• 1 Tbsp Port or Madeira
• 3 Tbsp Grand Marnier
• 1/2 tsp Angostura Aromatic Bitters
• 2 Tbsp Butter, room temperature

Method

1. The Duck Stock: (2 hours prior)
2. Remove the neck, wings (from the elbow down) and fatty bits from tail. Chop these into smaller pieces. Coat in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 20 minutes on high. Once cooked, set aside. Reserve the fat that is rendered in the bottom of the baking tray--for basting our duck later.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients for the duck stock to a medium pot and add 1 to 1.5 litres of water and bring to a boil. Add the duck pieces when ready. Heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 2 hours, and liquid roughly reduced to 500ml (2 cups). You can adjust this amount later by adding water--it's really not that critical. Salt to taste.
4. After 2 hours, discard the larger pieces, then strain, then strain again through cheesecloth (or paper towel or Chux).
5. The Duck:
6. Preheat the oven to 160degC (fan forced) 180degC (conventional).
7. Use a skewer or sharp knife to prick the skin at 1cm intervals along the thighs, the back, and the lower part of the breast. Take care to not pierce the meat itself. This helps the fat render out of the duck. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with the onion. Use string to truss the duck.
8. Place chopped root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions, etc. the choice is yours) in the bottom of an ovenproof pan, very lightly coat with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the duck on top of the vegetables and roast in the oven according to the table in the image above (scroll right). If you don't want to make vegetables, just place the duck on a rack in the ovenproof pan. But this is an excellent opportunity to save all the wonderful flavours that would otherwise be tossed out.
9. Use any fat that you may have reserved from making the stock to baste your duck once it begins to cook. Baste every 20 minutes or so. Use a turkey baster (if you have one) to suck up the duck fat from the bottom of the pan and squirt it all over Daffy's supple white flesh... Mmmm!
10. The Sauce:
11. Meanwhile, boil the red wine vinegar and sugar in a small pot until it turns brown. Pour in the stock little by little, stirring all the while. Set aside.
12. Juice 2 of the oranges, discarding the peel and pulp. Shave the peel off the other 2 oranges in large pieces. Julienne half of the shavings. Cut the 2 shaved oranges into segments/slices removing all pith and any remaining peel (we can use these segments later for garnish).
13. When the duck is cooked and resting (next step), finish the sauce by bringing it to a simmer, then add about 1/2 cup of orange juice and the large bits of peel. Simmer 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the Port/Madeira with the starch, then stir it into the saucepot to thicken. Add the Grand Marnier and enough salt and orange bitters to taste. Swirl in the butter one tablespoon at a time. Stir continuously, reducing gently. The sauce should easily coat the back of a spoon, or "nappe" consistency: a sauce or liquid that is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and remain there when a line is drawn through it with a finger, leaving a clear path.
14. Finishing Touches...
15. Take the duck out of the oven and increase the heat to 220degC. When it reaches temperature, put the duck back in the oven and roast until the skin is crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
16. When your duck is cooked, remove from the oven and let rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes (this will stop the duck from drying out). Set aside any vegetables in a warm place or leave in the pan with the oven off.
17. For a flavour boost, drain fat and de-glaze the pan with 1/2 cup Port/Madeira and reduce to 2/3 tablespoons. Add this, stirring, to your sauce before serving.
18. Serve the duck on a bed of the orange segments, then carve and arrange on individual plates. Give everyone some orange supremes and lashings of sauce. Garnish with the orange segments and julienned peel, and serve with good bread, mashed potatoes or any baked vegetables that you cooked along with the duck.
19. If you've made it this far--CONGRATULATIONS, you are AMAZING!