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"Orange Duck" For Two


Although duck a l'orange is one of Blanche's favourite dishes, it's hard to imagine her having the patience to see this all the way through. Maybe one of her many gentlemen admirers-Jake from VIP Catering?-can lend a hand.



    Ingredients

1 whole (i.e, double) duck breast

2 tsp course sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground clove

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup orange juice

1 orange

Method

1.  If necessary, cut the duck breast into 2 individual breasts. Turn them skin side down and trim any skin and fat that extends beyond the meat. With a very sharp knife, score the skin side at 1-inch intervals, going through the fat but not into the meat. Pat the duck breasts very dry with paper towels.

2.  Stir salt, pepper and cloves together in a small bowl. Season both sides of duck breasts generously with the mix. To ensure a crisp skin, put the duck breasts skin side up on a large plate and refrigerate, uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. ( Hint, overnight is better).

3.  Bring the duck to room temperature an hour before cooking. Meanwhile, grate 1/2 tsp zest from the orange and set aside. With a vegetable peeler, remove two 1-inch wide strips of zest from the rest of the orange, removing as little of the white pith as possible. Bring the stock, orange juice and the two wide strips of zest to the boil in a small saucepan. Boil until the glaze is reduced to 1/2 cup and is slightly thickened. Set aside in the saucepan.

4.  Put the duck breast skin side down in a heavy skillet (cast iron works well) and set the skillet over a very low heat. Render the fat from the skin of the duck breast until the skin is deep brown and only a thin layer of fat remains. This may take up to 30 minutes. Be patient and don't turn up the heat. The idea is to crisp the skin and render as much fat as possible without burning the skin.

5.  Flip the duck and raise the heat to medium. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 130 °F to 135 °F at the thickest part for a medium-rare duck breast. Cook longer-to an internal temperature of 145 °F to 150 °F for a medium duck breast. Remove the duck breast to a cutting board, skin side up, and let rest for 10 minutes.

6.  Meanwhile, remove the pan from the heat, drain off as much fat as possible, and pour the orange juice reduction into the pan. Scrape with a rubber spatula to remove the crunchies from the bottom of the pan.

7.  Using a very sharp knife, cut the duck into 1/2-inch slices at an angle. Arrange the slices overlapping on a plate and pour the sauce around the slices. Serve immediately.

Enjoy and STAY GOLDEN!
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