I love duck. It’s meaty and flavorful, so much more so than chicken and even turkey. With these other poultries, particularly chicken, simply relying on their own flavors can be a bit bland—you need to give them a healthy dose of other flavors to make them really great. I’m not saying I’d turn my nose up at a simple roasted chicken for dinner, but if you want something super flavorful that doesn’t require a whole lot of effort on your part duck is where it’s at.
The almost instinctive way to prepare duck is the once trendy, then passé, now maybe trendy again, but nevertheless classic dish—duck a l’orange. Traditionally prepared by roasting a whole (young) duck, it’s served with an orange-flavored brown sauce made from a dark stock, sugar, and peel and juice of Seville oranges. With duck being such a rich meat—and it is thought of as “meat” like beef rather you’re your typical bird, with the breasts being served no more than medium-rare, particularly with wild fowl—the intense tartness and acidity of those sour oranges balances its fattiness. That said, with Seville/sour/bitter oranges having such a short season, substituting them for a regular navel or Valencia orange is the natural alternative, adding a touch of vinegar or even lime juice to help add some sparkling sour to the dish.
The possibilities of duck extend so much further beyond that of this French classic (or Italian, depending on who you ask), but try as I did I couldn’t help myself this time. This is my single-serving twist on duck l’orange. Rather than a whole duck I go for the leg; the price per pound compared to the whole duck, or even just the breast, can’t be beat, not to mention it has incredible flavor. I marinade it with orange zest and juice, a bit of turbinado sugar for smoky sweetness, and oil before cooking it slowly in the oven until it’s almost like duck confit—meltingly tender and succulent meat with crispy, crispy skin. The sauce is a quick one of more orange, a little vinegar, and some beef stock (if you have an already-opened carton in the fridge that’s great, otherwise something from concentrate or cube is fine) that deglazes the pan once the duck is finished. I use regular oranges here, but if Seville/sour oranges are available—usually sometime between November and February—use them, replacing the vinegar in the sauce with more of the juice, and upping the honey ever so slightly.
I make it the perfect one-pan meal by tumbling some halved baby potatoes into the pan partway through cooking. They brown and crisp so wonderfully that they’re almost glowing with a golden halo, and if you’ve never had potatoes cooked in duck fat you are so missing out.
Try this quick and speedy take on the classic duck l’orange when you have a night to yourself and need a little solitary indulgence. You’ll look forward to your next night alone after this—trust me.
And if you are fortunate enough to get Seville oranges give my Seville Orange Crème Brûlée a try. So good.
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- 1 duck leg about 8 ounces
- 1-1/2 t-spoons orange zest half an orange
- 2 tablespoons orange juice half an orange
- 1/2 t-spoon kosher salt
- 1/4 t-spoon turbinado sugar (or brown sugar in a pinch)
- 1/4 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 8 ounces baby new potatoes whole or halved depending on their size
- 1-1/2 t-spoons orange zest other half of the orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice from other half of the orange
- 2 tablespoons beef stock (made from bullion is fine)
- 1 t-spoon red wine vinegar
- 1 t-spoon honey
- 1/2 t-spoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 t-spoon butter
- Pierce the skin of the duck—let’s say in about 10 spots—with a sharp pairing knife. Combine the duck, orange zest and juice, salt, sugar, and oil in a zipper bag and mash around until the marinade is emulsified and the duck is coated. Stash in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours.
- Remove the duck from the fridge to the counter—so it comes to room temperature—for at least an hour, but no more than two, prior to cooking.
- Set a cast iron skillet in the oven and set it to 300°. Once it comes to temp, leave the pan in the oven for about 20 minutes, before placing it over a medium flame on the stovetop.
- Remove the duck from the marinade and shake off the excess. Sear it skin-side down in the pan for just a few minutes before flipping it over and putting the whole thing in the oven. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and take most of the rendered duck fat from the pan—but do save it for another use—and toss in the potatoes, turning them about to coat them in the fat.
- Return it to the oven for 45 minutes, at which point the duck will be cooked and tender, and the potatoes incredible soft. Increase the heat at this point to 400° to crisp the potatoes. Keep a careful eye on the duck—you don’t want the skin to burn, so if it looks like it’s browning too much, remove it to a plate and cover it with foil. In all, this should only take about 10 minutes or so.
- Mix the ingredients for the sauce together, and once the duck and potatoes are ready transfer them to a serving plate. Pour the sauce ingredients into the pan and whisk to deglaze the pan a little and thicken the sauce. Shut off the heat, whisk in the butter, and pour over the duck.
- Devour immediately.
- If Seville oranges (or sour oranges) are available—usually sometime between November and February—use them, replacing the vinegar in the sauce with more of the juice, and upping the honey ever so slightly.