Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 large orange
- 1.8 kg /4lb whole ready-to-roast duck
- 2 tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra to season
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 onion, cut into four wedges
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- 75 ml /2 1/2 fl oz good red wine
- 1 1/2 large oranges, freshly squeezed juice only (around 150ml/5fl oz)
- 3 tbsp orange marmalade
- 2 tsp cornflour (if you want a thinner sauce only use 1 tsp)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210°C (400°F/Gas 6½).
- Peel the skin off the half orange in wide strips; a vegetable peeler is fine for this. Place a stack of three strips on top of each other and trim the sides. Cut the strips into very thin julienne strips. [OR use a julienne peeler.] Set aside the strips.
- Prick the duck skin lightly all over with the tip of a skewer or fork to help release the fat. Don’t be too heavy handed here.
- Place the duck on a rack set inside a roasting tin. Place the orange half inside the duck, pushing towards the neck end (this helps to support the breast during cooking).
- Add the bay leaves and onion.
- Season the duck with the salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast for 45 minutes.
- Take the duck out of the oven and carefully take the rack off the roasting tin using oven gloves to hold it.
- Tip any fat that has collected in the tin into a heatproof bowl, and reserve for future use. [Any excess can be left to cool, and used to roast potatoes at some future time.]
- Place the rack back into the tin and return the duck to the oven for a further 35-45 minutes, or until the skin is golden-brown and crisp.
- Remove the duck from the oven and check that it is thoroughly cooked. If not, return the duck to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until cooked.
- Transfer to a board or warmed serving dish. Cover very loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Drain all but one tablespoon of any more duck fat that has accumulated in the roasting tin into the heatproof bowl with the earlier lot.
- Return the tin to the hob and add the sliced onion. Fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the onion starts to soften and colour.
- Pour the orange liqueur and wine into the pan with the softening onion and allow to bubble for a few seconds.
- Add the orange juice and 150ml/5fl oz cold water and simmer together for about 2 minutes, stirring to lift any of the meat sediment from the bottom of the tin.
- Carefully strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a small non-stick saucepan.
- Stir the reserved julienne orange strips and marmalade into the jus and bring to a simmer.
- Mix the cornflour with one tablespoon of cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir it into the orange sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring regularly until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Pour any juices that have collected from the resting duck into the sauce and simmer for a few seconds, stirring.
- Pour into a warmed jug.
- Carve the duck at the table with an onion wedge for each person, pour a little of the sauce over and serve the rest separately.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes