Roasted duck in orange juice and orange liquer sauce will wow your guests. It is full of flavor and makes for a beautiful festive dish for a special occasion or Sunday roast.
I adore traditional Sunday food! I feel deliriously happy when I have something roasting in the oven on Sunday morning, plotting what I would fix for dessert to create the perfect Sunday lunch. This Sunday was no different, only this time I swapped the traditional roast chicken for duck.
It is not every day that fresh free-range duck is available in South Africa, so I jumped at the opportunity to take this guy home when I found it at one of our local food stores. Duck is one of my favorite meals to order when I get the chance at a restaurant. I am happy to report to my dear readers that the not so skinny cook would be very satisfied and most happy to eat the above recipe at any restaurant. As my five-year-old son, who watches a lot of cooking shows with his mother, would say (in his best Afrikaans accent): delicious!
Now, this duck is firstly roasted, cut into pieces and then gently cooked in an orange-flavored sauce, creating a crispy duck in intense orange flavors. I decided to serve the roast duck with whole roasted baby potatoes, sweet baby carrots, and minted peas. This Sunday roast was the perfect beginning to a new week with further promises of sun and spring.
This mouth-watering dish will serve 4 persons. Preparation time about 1/2 an hour. Cooking time about 41/4 hours.
Recipe: Roasted duck in orange juice and orange liquer sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 2kg duck
- 10 ml ginger powder
- salt and black cracked pepper
- 1 orange cut into quarters
- 1 onion cut into quarters
- 180 ml Orange Liqueur
- 1 cup of unsweetened orange juice
- 2 cups of good quality vegetable stock
- 1/2 orange cut into julienne strips
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
Method:
- Rinse the duck with water and remove all unwanted fat around the neck, tail and the cavity of the duck.
- Rub the duck all over with ginger, salt and pepper.
3. Place all the orange quarters as well as the onion inside of the body cavity.
4. Prick with a fork all over to allow the fats to cookout.
5. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 220º C for half an hour on a roasting rack in your pan and remove from oven.
6. Drain all fats from the pan and add about 2 cups of water to the pan, prick all over once more and lower the heat of the oven to 180º C. Pour a 1/4 of a cup of orange liqueur over the duck before replacing in the oven. Proceed to roast for another hour.
7. Remove from the oven and turn the duck on it’s back to ensure even roasting. Prick for the third time and pour another 1/4 cup of orange liqueur over. Return to the oven for about another hour. Do a prick test between the thighs and the legs to check if the juices run clear, which is an indication that the duck has been cooked through. Remove from the oven and place aside while you prepare the sauce.
Orange Sauce.
- In a saucepan bring the veggie stock, orange juice and orange peel to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Make a paste by adding the remaining orange liqueur and soy sauce to the cornstarch and then add this paste to the cooking orange mixture. Cook until thick and season further if required.
Final Preparations:
Cut the duck into neat pieces and place them in a roasting dish. Pour the orange sauce over and bake in a pre-heated oven of 160º C.
Enjoy with your favorite glass of fruity white wine and company for a Sunday lunch.
I buy my free-range duck from Woolies here in South-Africa.
