Honey Lacquered Duck à l’Orange by Jacques Reymond

Serves

6

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.

Step 6: Serve

  • Carve the roasted duck and serve it with the prepared sauce.

Enjoy your Honey Lacquered Duck à l’Orange!

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