Duck dinner- Easy duck a l'orange

It's the first day of June, but it's cool and rainy here. Normally, the BBQ would get a lot more use by now, but since it's getting cold at night, I felt like firing up the oven.

I've heard some people get intimidated still by classic French dishes. Duck a l'orange is not that hard.
This recipe is inspired by a recipe I found on the Food Network online. I've altered it a bit to streamline the process and to mellow out the sauce a bit.

First, get a duck- preferably 5 lbs or more. If you can't find one that large, just buy the biggest one you can find. I get mine at Safeway. Found them on sale (frozen) for $2.49/lb.




What you will need:

• Duck- as close to 5 lbs as you can find
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon bitters- I use Peychaud
• 2 cups hot chicken stock
• 1 cup Grand Marnier
• 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take the (thawed) duck out of the plastic, empty out anything in the body cavity, rinse the duck and then pat it dry. Put it in a large, metal pan. Poke the duck with the tip of a knife (just through the fat) all over the breast and down the front of the duck. This will help drain some of the fat- there is a lot. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the duck. Roast for 30 minutes per pound.

While the duck is cooking, let's start the sauce.
In a large sauce pan, combine 2 cups orange juice and 1/3 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until cooked down to about 3/4 cup. Add bitters to orange sauce. Add chicken stock, simmer over medium low heat for about ten minutes. Can be left on lowest setting on stove until duck is done. When you bring the duck out of the oven, bring it back up to to simmer over medium heat.

When the duck is done (should reach internal temp of about 170), remove from oven, then remove duck from the pan. Carefully drain off the fat, leaving other drippings in pan. Save the fat- put it in a jar, stick it in the fridge. It's wonderful for frying potatoes in.. or eggs, or making duck confit. I digress.
Place pan over two burners on the stove, on medium heat. Pour the Grand Marnier into the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring the drippings in the pan into the alcohol. Add this to the simmering orange sauce. Add cornstarch slurry, stirring until thickened. If you get lumps, strain them before serving with the duck.

By the way- this makes a lot of sauce. Serve as much of the sauce as you like, then put the rest in the freezer for later use. I keep it on hand so when I find duck breasts cheap, I can just sear them and warm the sauce. Easy peasy. And really tasty.

Carve the duck, serve with the sauce.
You might want to serve some rice or bread to help sop up some of the tasty sauce.

Viola! C'est magnifique, non?