Orange Duck Breasts On Braised Chicory Food

ORANGE DUCK BREASTS ON BRAISED CHICORY

Steps:

• With a sharp knife halve the whole duck breasts and score the skin in a 1/4-inch cross-hatch pattern. Put the duck in a large resealable bag. In a bowl whisk together the zest, the orange juice, the soy sauce, the oil, the honey, the vinegar, the red pepper flakes, and the salt, pour the marinade over the duck, and seal the bag. Let the duck marinate, chilled, turning the bag occasionally, for 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove the duck from the marinade, reserving the marinade, pat it dry between paper towels, and season it with salt and pepper. Heat 2 heavy skillets over moderately high heat until they are hot and in each skillet cook 2 duck breast halves, skin sides down, for 5 minutes. Pour off the fat, reduce the heat to moderate, and cook the duck, skin sides down, for 20 minutes more, adjusting the heat if necessary for the skin to turn dark brown but not burn. Pour off the fat, turn the duck breasts, and cook them, covered, over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer registers 145°F. to 150°F. for medium meat.
• While the duck is cooking in a kettle sauté the garlic in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring, until it begins to turn golden, add the chicory with the water clinging to the leaves, and braise it, covered, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is just tender. Season the chicory with salt and pepper and keep it warm.
• Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let it stand for 5 minutes. To one of the skillets add the water, deglaze the skillet over moderate heat, scraping up the brown bits, and add the deglazing liquid to the other skillet with the reserved marinade. Bring the liquid to a boil and deglaze the second skillet, scraping up the brown bits. Add any juices that have accumulated on the cutting board and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Cut the duck across the grain into thin slices, divide the chicory among 8 plates, and arrange the duck on it. Drizzle some sauce around each serving.

DUCK BREAST A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Place sugar in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. As sugar begins to melt, use a fork to gently stir sugar from edges to center of pan. Continue stirring in this manner until sugar is a deep amber color.
• Remove caramel from heat and carefully stir in vinegar, orange zest and juice, chicken broth, and shallot. Return to medium-high heat and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2/3 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Score fat of duck breasts with the tip of a knife in a crosshatch pattern to form 1-inch diamonds. Season both sides of breasts with salt and pepper. Place breasts, fat side down, in a medium skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook undisturbed until skin is crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 8 minutes more for medium-rare (125 degrees). Allow meat to rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Add orange supremes to sauce and pour over sliced duck just before serving.

BROILED DUCK BREASTS WITH ORANGE CHIPOTLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Boil all sauce ingredients in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, skimming foam occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand while duck broils.
• Prepare duck:
• Remove rack of a broiler pan, then add 1 cup water to broiler pan and replace rack. Preheat broiler with pan 5 to 6 inches from heat.
• Pat duck breasts dry and score skin at 1-inch intervals with a sharp knife (do not cut into meat), then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Broil duck breasts, skin sides down, 4 minutes for Long Island duck or 8 minutes for Muscovy, then turn over and broil until thermometer inserted horizontally into center of a breast registers 130°F (see cooks' note, below), 8 to 10 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Add any juices accumulated on cutting board to sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut each duck breast into thin slices and serve with sauce.