Description
Duck à l'Orange is a classic French dish featuring tender duck breasts cooked to juicy perfection and served with a tangy, sweet orange sauce made from orange liqueur, marmalade, and fresh zest. This recipe offers a streamlined approach using duck breasts instead of a whole duck for quicker preparation without sacrificing rich flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Duck
- 2 duck breast halves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon reserved duck fat
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Orange Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Seville orange marmalade, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the duck: Score the duck skin almost all the way through in a crosshatch pattern. Generously season the duck breasts with salt, rubbing it into all sides. Let them rest skin-side up at room temperature for 15 minutes to enhance flavor and tenderness.
- Make orange sauce mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange liqueur, sherry vinegar, orange marmalade, grated orange zest, and cayenne pepper until combined. Set aside.
- Dry and season duck: Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. Re-season the skin side of each breast with salt to ensure crispy skin during cooking.
- Cook duck breasts: Heat the reserved duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in the skillet. Cook for about 6 minutes until the fat renders and the skin crisps up beautifully.
- Finish cooking duck: Flip the duck breasts and continue cooking for about 4 minutes more until the meat firms up but remains reddish-pink and juicy at the center. An instant-read thermometer should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Remove the duck to a plate and let rest while preparing the sauce. Pour any rendered duck fat into a glass jar for future use.
- Make the orange sauce: Return the skillet to medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until the flour fully incorporates and becomes fragrant. Pour in the previously mixed orange sauce. Bring to a boil and cook 3 to 5 minutes until thickened and reduced.
- Finish sauce: Reduce heat to low. When the mixture stops bubbling, add the butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated, creating a smooth, glossy sauce. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve: Slice the rested duck breasts across the grain. Arrange on serving plates and spoon the warm orange sauce over the top. Garnish with thin strips of orange zest for extra aroma and presentation. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- This recipe uses duck breasts instead of a whole duck to shorten cooking time while preserving authentic flavor.
- Scoring the skin allows fat to render evenly and produces crispy skin.
- Letting the duck rest at room temperature before cooking helps achieve even cooking throughout.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for medium-rare doneness at 140°F (60°C) for juicy duck breasts.
- Reserve rendered duck fat for future cooking; it adds excellent flavor to roasted vegetables or potatoes.
- Adjust the amount of marmalade to taste for sweeter or more tart sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 354 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 593 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
