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. This recipe uses duck breasts instead of a whole duck for quicker preparation while maintaining rich, savory flavors balanced by the citrusy sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Duck
- 2 duck breast halves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon reserved duck fat
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
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 Duck: Score the duck skin diagonally in a crosshatch pattern, nearly through the skin and fat. Generously season both sides with salt and rub into the meat. Let the duck breasts rest skin-side up at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Make Orange Sauce Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange liqueur, sherry vinegar, Seville orange marmalade, grated orange zest, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
- Dry and Re-season Duck: Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels and season the skin side again with salt to ensure crispness during cooking.
- Cook Duck Skin Side Down: Heat reserved duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Place duck breasts skin side down and cook until the fat renders and the skin becomes crisp, about 6 minutes.
- Cook Duck on Other Side: Flip the duck breasts and continue cooking for about 4 minutes until the meat firms up and remains reddish-pink and juicy inside. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for 140°F (60°C) for medium doneness. Remove from skillet and let rest on a plate. Pour any rendered fat into a glass jar for later use.
- Make Sauce: Return skillet to medium heat, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute until integrated. Pour in the orange sauce mixture and bring to a boil, cooking until thickened and reduced, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in butter until melted and sauce is smooth. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve: Slice duck breasts across the grain, arrange on a serving plate, and spoon the orange sauce over the top. Garnish with thin strips of orange zest if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Using duck breasts instead of a whole duck reduces cooking time and simplifies the recipe while still delivering rich flavors.
- Score the skin deeply but carefully to avoid cutting into the meat, which helps render fat and achieve crisp skin.
- An instant-read thermometer ensures the duck is perfectly medium, juicy, and safe to eat.
- Seville orange marmalade gives authentic tangy flavor; if unavailable, use regular orange marmalade with a splash of lemon juice for acidity.
- Rendered duck fat can be saved and reused for roasting or frying to add rich flavor to other dishes.
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
