Champagne A Lorange Food

CHAMPAGNE ORANGES

Steps:

• Combine the marmalade and sugar in a small saucepan. Mix well, place over low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
• Cut the peel from the oranges, cut into slices and then quarter each slice, removing the white center pith from each. Put into a medium bowl.
• Pour the sugar/marmalade mixture and Champagne or grape juice over the sliced oranges. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
• Sprinkle with almonds before serving and add a sprig of mint.

DUCK A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Use a sharp knife to score the skin side of the duck breasts in 2 directions, about 20 slashes per direction. Season the breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Reserve in the refrigerator.
• Cut off 1 end so the orange can stand on the cutting board, and slice off 2 (2-inch) strips of zest. Cut the zest into fine julienne, then blanch the zest for 1 minute in the cup of boiling water. Juice the orange, strain the juice into a saucepan, and boil it until it's reduced to about 1 tablespoon.
• If you're using the kumquats instead, cut the round ends off the kumquats and eat or discard them. Set the kumquats on 1 end and use a sharp paring knife to trim the zest off three of them. Cut all the kumquats in half lengthwise, and working over a strainer set in a non-reactive bowl, remove the pulp with a small spoon. Push the pulp against the strainer to extract the juice. (Don't worry if you end up with only a tablespoon or 2.) Place the kumquat zests on a cutting board and slice them into fine julienne. Bring the 1/2 cup water to a boil over high heat, blanch the zests for 1 minute, then drain them in a strainer.
• If you're using concentrated duck broth, reduce it in a small saucepan to about 2 tablespoons until it's lightly syrupy.
• Heat a saute pan over medium to high heat and saute the duck breasts, skin side down, 8 to 10 minutes for the Pekin duck breasts and 12 to 18 minutes for the mallard. Turn the breasts over, adjust the heat to high, and cook for 1 minute for the Pekin duck and 2 minutes for the mallard.
• Pour the fat out of the pan ¿ if it hasn't burned, save it for omelets ¿ and deglaze the pan with the reduced kumquats or orange juice. Use a whisk to add the glaze. Add the sugar, Grand Marnier, kumquat or orange zest, and vinegar, and simmer the sauce for about 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol. At this point, adjust the thickness of the sauce ¿ its consistency is up to you, but many cooks make their sauces too thick; add 1 or 2 teaspoons water to thin it or simmer the sauce for a moment to reduce and thicken it. Whisk in the cold butter, keeping the pan and whisk moving until all the butter melts. (Don't let it sit without whisking or the butter will separate.) Season, to taste, with the pepper, and if necessary, a few more drops of vinegar.
• Slice the breasts crosswise, arrange the slices on individual heated plates, and spoon the sauce over the breasts. Serve hot, with orange wedges if desired.

GATEAU A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the sugar and butter together until creamy. Beat in the eggs. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and fold them in lightly.
• Grate the zest of the orange and squeeze out the juice. Stir zest, juice, and Cointreau into the batter. Then grease a 5-cup bread pan and spoon in the batter. Knock the pan against the countertop to settle the contents. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the cake is firm but bouncy to the touch and the blade of a knife inserted into it comes out clean. Leave it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then unmold onto a dish.
• Meanwhile, prepare the glazing. In a small saucepan, gently warm the orange juice and Cointreau. Stir in the confectioners' sugar.
• Using a pastry brush, paint the glaze over the cake--some of the glaze will seep in, the rest will form a light crust. Serve cold.

CAFFE L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Combine coffee, orange liqueur, Irish cream liqueur and ice cubes into a shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain contents into glasses filled with ice. Garnish each with an orange peel.

SOUFFLE A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack so the souffle will sit in the middle of the oven. Spread the 1/2 tablespoon of butter evenly inside a 6-cup souffle dish (6 1/2-inches round x 3 1/2-inches high) with a paper towel. Add the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and tilt the dish to distribute the sugar evenly. Lightly tap out the excess and set aside.
• Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-inch round enamel pot, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk and 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Off the heat, cool for 1 minute and whisk in first the egg yolks and then the orange liqueur, vanilla, and orange zest and set aside.
• Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until they are doubled in volume and frothy. With the mixer running, slowly add the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and beat until the egg whites form soft, very creamy (not firm!) peaks. Whisk 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then add all the egg whites and fold them carefully but thoroughly with a rubber spatula into the base.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dish, not filling it more than 1 1/4 inches from the top of the dish (there may be extra mixture). Put your finger 1 inch down into the edge of the souffle mixture and run it all the way around, making sure you don't rub off the butter and sugar inside the dish. Place in the middle of the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the souffle is puffed and browned on top. Don't peek!!
• Sift a light dusting of the confectioners' sugar on top and serve immediately.

CLASSIC DUCK A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
• Roughly chop the orange rinds after juicing and place in the cleaned duck cavity. Place the stuffed duck on a baking rack over a baking sheet with 1/2-inch of water. Bake until skin turns golden brown and lightly crisps, about 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and continue cooking until duck reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees, about 1 hour.
• In a medium heavy saucepan combine the orange juice, zest and sugar over medium high heat and reduce nearly 3/4 in volume, to about 3/4 cup. Add bitters to orange juice gastrique, and set aside. Place duck stock in clean saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add hot stock to reduced orange gastrique, and continue to simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes to make sauce.
• Remove duck from roasting pan and discard drippings in bottom of pan. Return duck to roasting pan and place pan over 2 burners over medium high heat. Add orange liqueur to pan and cook off the alcohol, scraping the pan continuously with a large wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the orange sauce to the roasting pan and cook 1 minute. Remove duck from the pan and discard orange rinds in cavity. Place duck on serving platter and let sit 10 minutes before carving. Combine roasting pan juices and orange sauce in a gravy boat and serve with carved duck.

CLASSIC CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters and drop into a champagne flute. Top with a luxury champagne or a sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist.

CANETON A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Make duck:
• Prepare ducks for roasting. Place in pan with carrots, onions, a little thyme, and a bay leaf. Roast at 325°F. for 50 minutes to one hour, so the meat still shows a little blood when pricked with a toothpick and skewer. Remove and keep hot. Place roasting pan on heat and cook for a few minutes. Skim off excess fat and rinse pan with white wine and consommé. Cook for 5 minutes. Stain mixture through a fine sieve. Melt 2 tablespoons sugar in a heavy pan over low heat and just as it begins to carmelize, add vinegar and fruit juices. Add strained pan juices. Bring to a boil. Skim off excess fat. Mix flour with a little water and blend with sauce; cook until thickened to a syrupy consistency. Correct seasoning. Add Kitchen Bouquet to give rich color. Carve meat of one duck and arrange slices overlapping on top of second duck. Garnish with sections of orange. Add liqueur, 1/4 cup sugar, and cognac to sauce and carefully pour sauce over and around duck. Garnish the platter with potatoes. Serve peas separately.
• Make potatoes:
• Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain and peel. Put through food mill or ricer. Blend in 6 tablespoons butter, cream and one by one, egg yolks, beating well after each addition. Flavor with finely grated orange peel. Roll into long cork shapes, dip in flour, beaten egg, and fine bread crumbs and quickly deep fry in hot fat until golden brown.
• With this, drink a light Bordeaux.