With plenty of leftover cranberries and oranges, I’ve decided to put some into good use, in the form of a sauce for a duck dish.
Cranberries and oranges go so well together, and the acidity and mild sweetness is just perfect for a duck dish. The result was wonderful.
The dish is tasty and festive, perfect for the season. I served it with polenta, but mashed potatoes is also a wonderful option. Try it and enjoy.
Notes:
* Keeping the dish in the fridge overnight does wonders to the flavor of the sauce and I highly recommend not skipping this stage.
* I’ve used homemade lightly salted chicken stock. If using store bought, look for low sodium one.
* 4 pepper mix is made of black, green, white and pink pepper. If you can’t find it, freshly ground black pepper will do.
* Extra sauce will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It is great with any chicken or turkey dishes.
Makes: 4
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 2½ hours
Waiting time: overnight
Ingredients:
3 duck legs (about 1.5 lb, 750 grams), preferably fresh, at room temperature
(If using frozen, thaw slowly in the fridge overnight)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground 4 pepper mix
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly cut
3 celery stalks, roughly cut
Zest from 1 large orange
4-5 bay leaves
4-5 dries sage leaves
2 cups fresh cranberries, or frozen, thawed
¼ cup flour
2 Tbs honey
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup fresh orange juice (from 1 large orange)
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground 4 pepper mix
½ tsp sweet paprika
¼ tsp hot paprika
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1. With a sharp knife, make a few superficial cuts in the duck’s skin (this will help release the fat). Season with salt and pepper. Place a medium size wide pot over medium-high heat and add the duck, skin side down. Fry the duck in its own rendered fat, for about 5 minutes, until the skin is golden. Turn and fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pot, drain most of the fat (keep it, it’s great for roasted potatoes!), keeping about 2 Tbs in.
2. Add the onion, celery and carrot, mix and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the orange zest, bay leaves, sage and cranberries. Mix and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the flour and mix well. Add the honey, chicken stock, orange juice and spices. Mix and bring to the boil. Add the duck and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200F (95C). Place the covered pot in the oven and braise for 1 hour. Uncover the pot and place back in the oven for 1 hour. Take out and bring to room temperature before placing in the fridge overnight.
5. The next day, remove most of the fat layer. Take the duck out and keep in a bowl at room temperature.
Discard the bay leaves and blend the sauce with a hand blender. Strain through a fine strainer. Place back in the pot and reheat over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cook for about 10 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the sauce reduces and its color deepens. Keep in a warm place until serving.
6. For a crispy skin serving option: reheat the duck in the oven, and broil for the last 3-4 minutes, to crisp the skin. Serve with the sauce on the side. Another option is to reheat the duck in the reduced sauce and serve.
This has made my day. Wow, it looks soooooo good. I’m imagining tasting it as I type.
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Thank you Trav! The dish turned out very tasty. I will surely make it again soon. 🙂
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I look forward to it. 😊😊😊
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🙂
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What a wonderful variation of Duck l’Orange! Thank you, Ronit!
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Thank you Dolly, I’m glad you liked this version. I do love to improvise on the classics. 🙂
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So did Schumann, and your improvisations are as delightful as his music!
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I’m humbled at the comparison. Thank you! 🙂
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My great pleasure! Next time I play Schumann, I’ll have your recipes in mind.
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🙂
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Wow Ronit, this is complete elegance and drool-worthy!
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Thank you Kathryn! Having leftover cranberries and oranges did the trick! 🙂
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Looks delicious!!
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Thank you Patrick! 🙂
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Interesting sauce!!! I want to taste it :p
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Thank you, I’m glad you liked it. The taste was great! 🙂
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Ok, I love what you’ve done here Ronit. The combination of Cranberry and Orange and the way you’ve cooked the duck and left it in the sauce overnight, almost becoming a confit. Wonderful.
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Thank you Myra, I’m glad you liked my version. You’re right, keeping the duck in the sauce overnight gave it a wonderful, almost confit-like texture. I will definitely make this again. 🙂
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How delicious this looks. I’m always on the look out for cut up duck legs and thighs, but alas I find none……only the entire frozen duck. Love the flavor combination here.
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Thank you Loretta, I’m glad you liked my version. It’s a shame you can’t find cut up duck legs. They are so flavorful. 🙂
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Gorgeous and mouthwatering – good for festive season! Duck with orange goes well but didn’t know about cranberries. As you wrote, it must be good!
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Thank you! Using the cranberries for the sauce was purely experimental, but it worked so well, I will definitely make this dish again. 🙂
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A lot of steps, but so worth it! Especially for a holiday meal!
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Indeed a few steps, but the fact it can be prepared in advance is a big plus when entertaining. 🙂
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The only time I ever had duck was in Hawaii on my honeymoon! Ronit, this looks so moist and delicious 🙂
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Thank you Marisa, I’m glad the dish brought back such nice memories. 🙂
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Beautiful Ronit, cranberry and orange are such a delicious combination and I love this sauce with the duck which looks just perfect.
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Thank you Suzanne! I’m with you when it comes to cranberries and oranges – such a great combination. Here it worked so well with the duck, I plan to make it again soon. 🙂
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This is a gourmet delight! Wow!
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Thank you Carol! It is indeed an impressive dish and as it can be prepared ahead of time, it’s really perfect for entertaining. 🙂
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Gorgeous and very creative.
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Looks yummy
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Thank you Karen! 🙂
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elegant and lovely
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Thank you Lynn. 🙂
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I like duck with orange sauce, but never would have thought of adding cranberries to the sauce. The addition of the cranberries are an inspired twist to a classic recipe.
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I usually prepare cranberry-orange relish for Thanksgiving, so it seemed like a good idea to add some to this dish as well. It worked so well I will definitely make it again soon. Well worth trying. 🙂
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Love Duck! My wife would love this specific recipe! Must try it! 🙂
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Glad to know! The cranberries went so well with it. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂
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An absolute drool-worthy recipe. That sauce is droolicious!!
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Thank you Sumith! I love the word droolicious! 🙂
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I’ve been seriously considering roasting a duck lately, Ronit, and I think this recipe may be the proverbial last straw. The sauce sounds too good not to try. Now all I need do is remember where I saw duck legs. Roasting an entire duck is just a bit much for me, unless I’ve company — but then I have to share. 😀
Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you John, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Hope you’ll find duck legs to help with the cravings and not have to share! 🙂
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Duck and orange it’s always a winning pairing 🙂
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I totally agree, Graziano. It’s a perfect pairing. 🙂
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Oh, that sounds (and looks) great, Ronit!
As we still didn’t decided on our Christmas menu, I might consider this duck dish 😉
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Thank you Yana, I’m glad you liked my recipe. I hope you’ll enjoy the results. I’ll e happy to hear about it. Happy Holidays! 🙂
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Delicious😋👌
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Thank you Leyla, for commenting and for the follow. I’m glad you liked the recipe and I’m looking forward to checking more of your posts as well. 🙂
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Happy to connect💗
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