Food Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Duck à l'Orange 5.0 (1,605) 12 Reviews Jacques Pépin's whole roast duck gets layers of citrus flavor from orange zest, juice, and segments — plus a splash of Grand Marnier. By Jacques Pépin Jacques Pépin Jacques Pépin is a legendary French chef and longtime contributor to Food & Wine. Known for his work at New York City's Le Pavillon and his own restaurant La Potagerie, Pépin was also a culinary leader at Howard Johnson's, the World Trade Center, and the French Culinary Institute. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 7, 2023 Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 1 hr 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs Yield: 4 to 6 servings Jump to recipe Jacques Pépin's classic duck à l'orange gets bright orange flavor from a citrusy syrup — sugar, cider vinegar, freshly squeezed orange juice, and currant jelly — which is mixed into a savory duck gravy before adding butter and a splash of Grand Marnier. The result is a sweet, tangy, fragrant, complex sauce that perfectly pairs with crispy-skinned roast duck. Frequently Asked Questions What country does duck à l'orange come from? Canard à l'orange is a French dish — the name translates roughly to "duck with orange" — that's been one of the country's most famous poultry preparations for centuries. It was originally made with bitter oranges, "bigarades" in French, and the sauce is still referred to as sauce bigarade. These days, however, bitter oranges can be harder to come by for U.S. home cooks; many duck à l'orange recipes will swap in navel orange and balance it with something acidic (cider vinegar, in this case) to replicate the flavor. What side dishes go with duck à l'orange? Duck à l'orange goes well with braised greens and steamed vegetables like green beans or broccoli rabe. It's also fabulous with potato-based sides — duck fat and potatoes are a beautiful match — or with a simple rice pilaf and fresh mesclun salad. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Pépin uses Pekin ducks, also called Long Island ducks, an American breed descended from ducks imported from China in the late 19th century. Because a single duck rarely has enough meat to feed more than two or three people, he prepares two ducks side by side when feeding guests. Readers say that preparing only one duck and adjusting the rest accordingly makes for just as delicious a result. Make ahead The base for the orange duck sauce (step 3 in this recipe) can be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Suggested pairing Although Pinot Noir is a classic pairing with duck, Côtes du Rhône, when made with mostly Grenache, often has an orange or tangerine flavor that makes it spectacular with the sauce in this dish. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 (5 1/2- to 6-pound) Pekin ducks, trimmed of excess fat, necks, gizzards, and hearts reserved Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped 1 small leek, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed but not peeled 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried thyme 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1 cup dry white wine 5 navel oranges, divided 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons currant jelly 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter Directions Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut off the first two wing joints of the ducks and reserve. Chop the necks into 2-inch lengths. Prick the ducks around the thighs, backs, and breasts. Season the ducks inside and out with salt and pepper. Set a rack in a very large roasting pan. Set the ducks' breasts up on the rack as far apart as possible. Add the water to the pan and roast the ducks in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Turn the ducks on their sides, propping them up by placing two large balls of foil between them, and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the ducks to their other sides and roast for 30 minutes longer. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the hearts, gizzards, wing joints, and necks; season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until richly browned, 10 minutes. Add the carrots, tomatoes, celery, leek, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme; cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and tomato paste, then gradually stir in the stock and wine. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Meanwhile, remove the zest in strips from one of the oranges. Cut the zest into a very fine julienne. In a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch the julienne for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water; pat dry. Halve and squeeze two of the oranges; you will need 1 cup of juice. Peel the remaining oranges (including the one you stripped the zest from) with a knife, removing all of the bitter white pith. Cut in between the membranes to release the sections into a bowl. In a medium saucepan, boil the sugar and vinegar over moderately high heat until the syrup is a pale caramel color, 4 minutes. Gradually add the 1 cup of orange juice, then the currant jelly and bring to a boil. Add the strained duck sauce and simmer over moderate heat to reduce slightly, 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Grand Marnier and remove from the heat. Swirl in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pour off the fat in the roasting pan. Turn the ducks breast side up and roast for 40 minutes longer. Remove the ducks from the oven and preheat the broiler. Broil the ducks 6 inches from the heat, rotating the pan a few times, until richly browned, about 3 minutes. Insert a wooden spoon into the cavities and tilt the ducks, letting the juices run into the pan. Transfer the ducks to a platter and keep warm. Scrape the pan juices into a fat separator and pour the juices back into the roasting pan. Simmer over moderate heat, scraping up any browned bits and coagulated juices. Strain the contents of the roasting pan into the orange sauce. Garnish the duck platter with the reserved orange sections and scatter the blanched zest over the ducks. Carve the ducks at the table and pass the sauce separately. © Con Poulos Note Recipe from Essential Pépin by Jacques Pépin. Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Originally appeared: October 2011 Rate It Print