CookEat Recipe
Wild Duck Braised with Orange
Wild duck browned in butter and braised with a browned flour sauce, orange peel, celery and carrot, then jointed and finished with orange juice.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 wild mallard duck, about 1 kg, legally supplied for human consumption and professionally cleaned; 30 g butter; 1 tablespoon plain flour; 500 ml water; 1 orange: a single strip of peel from about one quarter of it, plus all its juice; 1 celery stalk about a handspan long, coarsely chopped; 1 piece carrot, about 50 g, coarsely chopped; Salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a close-fitting heavy casserole. Add the cleaned duck without rinsing it and brown on all sides. Lift it out onto a plate reserved for the partly cooked bird.
Step 3
Stir the tablespoon flour into the fat remaining in the casserole and cook, stirring, until brown but not burnt. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until it has stopped bubbling vigorously. Gradually whisk in the measured water, taking care against splashing.
Step 4
Return the duck immediately to the pan, add the single strip of orange peel, celery and carrot, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until tender and at least 82°C in the thickest breast and thigh areas, roughly 1½–2 hours after browning or longer if needed. Add small amounts of water only if necessary to avoid drying.
Step 5
Lift the cooked duck onto a clean board. Strain the sauce and discard the peel and vegetable solids. Skim off excess fat with a spoon or fat separator. Divide the duck into joints and return them to the strained sauce.
Step 6
Squeeze in all the juice of the orange, bring back to a gentle boil and cook for a few minutes, about 3–5. Serve hot with the smooth orange sauce.
Step 7
A domestic duck may be cooked by the same method. For a larger bird allow more cooking time and liquid as needed, keeping the same final temperature checks. Domestic duck releases more fat, so skim the sauce thoroughly before serving.
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