Duck with Orange

To prepare duck with orange, start with a duck already cleaned of internal organs, fat, and any remaining feathers, if possible, otherwise, you'll need to clean it thoroughly before using it in the recipe. Remove any remaining feathers by singeing them with a blowtorch 1, then rinse the duck thoroughly under running water inside and out and dry it perfectly with a kitchen cloth. Proceed to tie it: using elastic food-grade string (available at any housewares store), knot the wings by passing through the shoulders and tying the legs over the belly 2. This will help to keep the whole duck in shape during cooking. In a large pan, heat the oil, then add the excess duck fat set aside 3, and let it stew for a few minutes.

Place the duck and brown it over medium heat on one side 4 and the other; then deglaze with Grand Marnier 5 and drizzle with the cooking juices 6.

Meanwhile, slice the oranges 7 and when the duck is well browned, transfer it to a high-sided baking dish and fill it with three slices of orange 8, thyme, and rosemary 9.

Brush the duck with 2 3/4 tablespoons of melted butter 10, salt it, pepper it 11, and pour about 1/4 cup of orange juice 12 on the bottom of the baking dish.

the white wine 13 and 1 1/3 tablespoons of water 14. Before transferring it to the oven, cover the duck with a sheet of aluminum foil, pricking it with a fork 15 to facilitate cooking and to prevent the surface of your duck from burning. Transfer to a preheated static oven at 392°F and cook the duck using a probe until it reaches 158°F at the core: it will take about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Also prepare the potatoes that will go in the oven separately but at the same temperature as the duck: wash them thoroughly and clean them with a kitchen cloth, then cut them into wedges of equal size as much as possible, leaving the skin on 16; season them in a bowl with oil 17, salt, and pepper. Then transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and season with rosemary 18. Place in the oven along with the duck (you can place them on the lower rack of the oven); they should cook at the same temperature for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, focus on the sauce: take the orange, peel it with a peeler 19, squeeze the juice and strain it: you will need 5 1/4 oz. Then blanch the orange peels for a few moments in boiling water 20, then drain them 21

and slice them into very thin strips 22. Prepare the sauce by melting the sugar with the water over very low heat 23: you need to reach a temperature of 330°F using a kitchen thermometer and at that point pour in the strained orange juice 24;

stir with a whisk to emulsify everything and add a few tablespoons of the duck's cooking juices 25 and the cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/3 tablespoons of water 26. Continue working the sauce with the whisk until it thickens, then turn off and strain the sauce through a sieve 27,

then add the finely sliced orange peels (28-29) and set aside. Once the core temperature is reached, remove the duck from the oven, discard the aluminum foil, brush it with the orange sauce 30, and grill for about 5-10 minutes (time varies depending on the oven's power) to brown it well.

Once well browned, remove your duck from the oven 31 and the potatoes that will have finished cooking 32, serve the duck with orange on a serving dish along with the potatoes 33 and use the orange sauce to drizzle over the slices you will serve your guests.