Orange Glazed Duck

Orange Glazed Duck

Duck has traditionally been paired with oranges forever. I remember getting a frozen duck at the grocery store years ago and it came with a packet of orange sauce.You were supposed to boil it up and serve it over the duck. I wasn’t real happy with the resulting sauce and wondered what the fuss was about duck with orange sauce. Since I was roasting a duck the other day I decided to try to make an orange sauce that I did like and see if it helped. The end result was a wonderful. I started by splitting the duck in half and sprinkling it generously with salt and fresh ground pepper. It was a local duck so not as fatty as other ducks I had gotten at the store before. If your duck is fatty- trim off some of the extra fat ( you can render it later) and score the skin.  I put it on a rack, roasting it at 425 degrees for just under an hour. Then I brushed the orange glaze (recipe follows) all over the duck and placed it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown up. The result was a duck with crispy skin, sticky from the glaze. I get it now. Orange and duck, done right, is a great combination.

Orange Glaze

1 T. oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 c. orange juice

1/4 c. vinegar- I used cider vinegar

2 T. honey

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. sherry

1 T. soy sauce

2 t. hot sauce

2 t. orange zest

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. cold water

In small pan heat oil and saute the shallot until tender. Add garlic and cook a minute or two longer. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, and simmer for about 10 minutes, so mixtures reduces a little. Combine the cornstarch and water and pour into the sauce, stirring, until mixture in thickened and bubbly.  Makes a little over a cup. Great on duck or as a dipping sauce for other meats or egg rolls. Keeps in fridge a couple of weeks.