Name: Duck Bigarade
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds duck breasts; Kosher salt; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 cup Basic Duck Stock or chicken stock; Juice of 1 orange, preferably Seville (1/2 cup); 1 shot glass Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur, optional; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or sherry vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; Grated zest of 1 orange; 1/2 sweet orange, quartered and thinly sliced

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Photo by Holly A. Heyser

This is a modern rendition of a nineteenth-century recipe that ultimately became the legendary canard a l'orange, though it bears little resemblance to the gloppy 1960s version of duck a l'orange served in this country. This is much lighter and just a little bitter. The sauce was originally made with sour Seville oranges (bigarade is the Provençal term for these sour citrus), and if you can find them, by all means use them. Citrus and waterfowl are a perfect pair, and they both happen to be in season at the same time. Any skin-on duck breasts will work with this recipe, but I prefer Muscovy or large wild duck breasts.

Serve this dish with roasted or mashed potatoes, polenta, or a wild rice pilaf. A soft white wine is a good choice here, such as a Viognier, a Roussanne, or an oaky Chardonnay.

Recipe notes

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