Roast Duck With Orange Sauce Canard A L Orange Julia Child Food

CLASSIC FRENCH DUCK A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Use a needle or sharp knife point to pierce the skin of the fat ducks all over, taking care to not pierce the meat itself; go in at an angle. This helps the fat render out of the bird. Salt the ducks well and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Put the ducks in an ovenproof pan. I rest them on celery leaves to prop them above the level of the pan; this helps them crisp better. If you want, surround the duck with some root vegetables. Roast for 90 minutes.
• Take the pan out and increase the heat to 425°F. When it hits this temperature, put the birds back in the oven and roast until the skin is crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil the vinegar and sugar in a small pot until it turns brown. Pour in the stock little by little, stirring all the while. Set aside.
• Shave the peel off the oranges, grating some fine and keeping the peel of 2 oranges in large pieces. Juice 2 oranges. Cut segments from the other 2 oranges. Here is a tutorial on how to do that.
• When the ducks are ready, remove them from the oven and let them rest on a cutting board.
• Finish the sauce. Bring it to a simmer, then add about 1/2 cup of orange juice and the large bits of peel. Simmer 5 minutes. Whisk together a little of the sauce with the starch, and, when it's mixed well, 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.
• To serve, carve the duck and arrange on plates. Give everyone some orange supremes and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the grated zest, and serve with good bread, mashed potatoes or celery root, or polenta.

ROAST DUCK WITH ORANGE SAUCE - CANARD A L' ORANGE JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Start the stock for the sauce well in advance.
• Brown duck parts with carrot and onion in oil. (or brown carrot and onion with gleaned duck fat).
• Add bullion and water.
• Simmer with herbs and reduce to 2 cups.
• Skim fat, any scum, strain, and set aside, or refrigerate until needed.
• To begin the sauce, bring water to simmer while preparing orange peel.
• The peel is for both the roasting duck, and the sauce. This also, needs to be done in advance.
• Peel oranges, making sure that the strips are only the orange colored part, not the bitter white.
• Julienne into strips about 1/8" or less by 1 1/2 ".
• Simmer in water 6 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, dry, and set aside.
• Peel orange segments, put in covered container, and set aside, or refrigerate.
• Prepare duck by trimming loose fat, making sure all feathers are gone, and remove wishbone from breast (optional).
• Prick skin to allow fat to escape, and to baste the duck during the cooking.
• Season cavity of ducks with salt and pepper, and place 1/3 of orange peel and 1/3 of orange segments inside.
• The small ducklings will take about 25 to 30 minutes to roast, so you might want to continue the sauce at this point and preheat the oven to 450°F.
• In a saucepan, blend sugar and vinegar over low heat to dissolve.
• Boil rapidly until mixture begins to caramelize.
• Lower heat to simmer, add half the duck stock, and stir until mixture is no longer caramelized.
• Remove from heat.
• Add remaining stock, blended cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the port, remaining orange peel, and all but a few orange segments (saved for garnish).
• Simmer for 3-4 minutes, correct seasoning, and keep warm. Sauce should be clear and slightly thickened.
• Place ducklings on rack in small roasting pan, breast side up and place in oven.
• Roast 5 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F, and turn on side, and place back in oven.
• Continue to roast and turn, until duck is breast up. Roast 25 to 30 minutes total.
• When ducklings are done (juice will be rosy clear) place on warmed individual platters and keep warm.
• Finish sauce by removing fat from roasting pan and deglaze with port.
• Add to sauce.
• Bring sauce to simmer, add orange liqueur, and correct seasoning with lemon juice if sauce seems too sweet.
• Remove sauce from heat, swirl in butter and spoon some over ducks and put remainder in a warmed sauceboat.
• Garnish ducks with remaining orange segments, place rice and peas on platters and serve.

DUCK A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Roast duck:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 475°F.
• Stir together salt, coriander, cumin, and pepper. Pat duck dry and sprinkle inside and out with spice mixture. Cut 1 half of orange into quarters and put in duck cavity with thyme, marjoram, parsley, and 4 onion wedges.
• Squeeze juice from remaining half of orange and stir together with wine and stock. Set aside.
• Spread remaining 4 onion wedges in roasting pan with carrot and celery, then place duck on top of vegetables and roast 30 minutes.
• Pour wine mixture into roasting pan and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to roast duck until thermometer inserted into a thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more. Turn on broiler and broil duck 3 to 4 inches from heat until top is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Tilt duck to drain juices from cavity into pan and transfer duck to a cutting board, reserving juices in pan. Let duck stand 15 minutes.
• Make sauce:
• While duck roasts, cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Add orange juice, vinegar, and salt (use caution; mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved. Remove syrup from heat.
• Discard vegetables from roasting pan and pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or bowl, then skim off and discard fat. Add enough stock to pan juices to total 1 cup liquid.
• Stir together butter and flour to form a beurre manié. Bring pan juices to a simmer in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add beurre manié, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add orange syrup and zest and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and zest is tender, about 5 minutes. Serve with duck.
• Available at D'Artagnan (800-327-8246).