Duck a l'orange de l'Inde

Duck à l’orange de l’Inde

Way back in the late sixties, I went to visit my sister when she was a university student in Edmonton, where she made me duck à l’orange.  I thought I had died and floated to heaven.  Yesterday I made marmalade from scratch, and had one Seville orange left over, and there was a sale on duck, so guess what?    

The Masala

3 teaspoons cumin seed
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
4 cloves
Ten or so turns of freshly ground black pepper
1 large cinnamon stick
2 inches shredded ginger
3 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
2 small hot chillies, sliced thickly
1 Seville orange, sliced thickly

In a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the first four ingredients.

Everything Else

1 roasting duck
¼ cup coarse salt
sprinkles of turmeric  (I keep some in a salt shaker)
freshly ground black pepper
water to fill roasting pan up to an inch deep
2 oranges, squeezed, pulp included
1 tablesoon marmalade, homemade if possible

Pour most of the coarse salt into the cavities of the duck, but some into your hand.  Rub that salt into the duck, as if the salt were a cleaning agent, which it actually is!  Rinse it off, and rinse inside the duck, being sure to pluck out any objects such as packaged giblets or a neck.  I throw these out, and rinse like mad.  Some of the salt will stay behind, but too much would be unpleasant.  Dry the interior and exterior of the duck with lots of paper towels, and put into a container for marinating.  Stuff the cavities with most of the masala spices, including the ginger, garlic and oranges.  Pat the rest of the masala over the  duck skin.  Cover, and let marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

Heat oven to 500 F degrees.  Prick the duck all over with a sharp fork.  Sprinkle enough turmeric and freshly ground pepper over it to add a nice colour.  Using a non-stick roasting pan with a tray, fill the pan with water, up to an inch deep.  Put the duck on the tray, being sure the duck is above the water level.  Roast for 30 minutes.  Turn heat down to 350 F.  Check from time to time that there is still some water in the pan.  Cook another hour and a half, or until thermometer registers 170 F.  When it does, crank the oven heat up to broil, and watch carefully.  The skin should be darkened and caramelised, but nothing should burn.  This should take less than five minutes.  Remove the duck and set aside on a separate platter, covered with tin foil to rest.  Meanwhile, pour the juices into a gravy separator, and add about eight ice-cubes.  Pour the orange juice and pulp into the pan to deglaze it, and cook gently.  As the duck juices cool in the gravy separator, remove the fat and pour the duck juices back into the pan.  Add the marmalade.  Continue to cook gently, stirring often. Taste to see if salt is needed.  Pour into a small pitcher.

 I served the duck and sauce with broccoli and an “ancient grains rice mix”  made from red rice, barley, rye berries, black barley, whole oats, quinoa, and long grain red.  (Available at a certain big box ‘members’ only outlet.  If you use this mix, cook for at least an hour, with another tablespoon of marmalade, otherwise following package directions.)  This meal will float you back to the sixties, à le Ravi Shankar!