Honey Lacquered Duck à l’Orange by Jacques Reymond

Name: Honey Lacquered Duck à l’Orange by Jacques Reymond
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Ingredients: 1 x Moorabool Valley corn-fed duck; Zest of 1 lemon (dried at 100°C for 15 minutes); Zest of 1 orange (dried at 100°C for 15 minutes); 2 spring onions (sliced into batons); 4 garlic cloves (crushed); 1 orange (cut in quarters); 1/2 knob of ginger (sliced); 2 dried chilis; 8 juniper berries; 1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper; 6 cardamom pods; 2 cinnamon sticks; 5 star anis; 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds; Salt and pepper; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; Salt and pepper; 5 tablespoons honey; 13 juniper berries; 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper; 1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper; 6 cardamom pods; 60 ml malt vinegar; 2 tablespoon soy sauce; 70 g soft brown sugar; 90 ml sherry vinegar; 6 white peppercorns crushed; 4 cloves; 2 shallots sliced; 2 garlic cloves sliced

Serves

Prep

15 mins

Cooking

120 mins

A classic of French cuisine, reinvented to make the dish lighter by stuffing the duck with fragrant citrus and Asian spices. The honey glaze gives a glossy lacquer that blends nicely with the orange sauce.

Ingredients

1 x Moorabool Valley corn-fed duck SHOP NOW

Seasoning

Zest of 1 lemon, dried at 100°C for 15 minutes
Zest of 1 orange, dried at 100°C for 15 minutes
2 spring onions, sliced into batons
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 orange, cut in quarters
1/2 knob of ginger, sliced
2 dried chilis
8 juniper berries
1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper
6 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anis
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Salt and pepper

Honey Glaze

5 tablespoons honey
13 juniper berries
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper
6 cardamom pods
60 ml malt vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce

Sauce à l’Orange

70 g soft brown sugar
90 ml sherry vinegar
6 white peppercorns crushed
4 cloves
2 shallots sliced
2 garlic cloves sliced
Grated zest of 1 orange
80 ml reduced chick stock
1 litre orange juice
40 g butter cubed

Method

Step 1: Prepare the Duck

Remove the duck from the wrapping and pat it dry.
Set the duck aside, uncovered, to allow the skin to dry.

Step 2: Prepare the Seasoning

In a bowl, mix chopped spring onion, garlic, and quartered orange.
Add citrus peel, fresh and dry spices, salt, and pepper to the mixture.
Stuff this seasoning inside the cavity of the duck and close it with a skewer.

Step 3: Make the Honey Glaze

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine 4 tablespoons honey, 8 juniper berries, pepper, Szechuan pepper, and cardamom.
Stir until the honey bubbles and caramelises.
Deglaze the pot quickly with vinegar and soy sauce.
Continue cooking for five minutes or until the mixture is reduced by two-thirds, creating a thick syrup.

Step 4: Preheat the Oven and Roast the Duck

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced.
Lightly oil a roasting tray and place the seasoned duck on it.
Use a pastry brush to coat the duck with the honey glaze.
Roast the duck in the centre of the oven for 65 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Step 5: Prepare the Sauce

Caramelise brown sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Once bubbling and dark brown, deglaze with sherry vinegar.
Add the remaining juniper as well as white peppercorn, honey, shallots, cloves, garlic, and orange zest.
Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds.
Add chicken stock and orange juice, then cook for 5-10 minutes or until reduced by a good half.
Strain the sauce, return it to the saucepan, and whisk the butter in vigorously to smooth the sauce.