Duck a l’orange
A beautifully roasted duck with crisp golden skin, infused with orange, bay, and onion, served with a rich, glossy orange sauce - perfect for a special dinner or festive occasion.
Updated : 27 October, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
0.5
Oranges
1.8 kilograms
Duck
2 teaspoon
Sea salt
2
Laurel leaf
0.5
Onion
pinch
Ground black pepper
For the sauce
0.5
Onion
4 tablespoon
Orange liqueur
75 milliliters
Red wine
150 milliliters
Orange juice
3 tablespoon
Marmalade
2 teaspoon
Corn flour
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 210C. Peel the skin from half an orange in wide strips using a vegetable peeler, stack them, trim the edges, and finely slice into thin julienne strips. Set aside for later.
Step 2
Prick the duck’s skin all over with a skewer, being careful not to pierce too deeply, to help render the fat. Place the duck on a rack inside a sturdy roasting tin and insert the half orange into the cavity, pushing it towards the neck end to support the breast. Add the bay leaves and onion wedges, then season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.
Step 3
Remove the duck from the oven and carefully lift the rack out of the tin. Pour any rendered fat into a heatproof bowl (you can save this for roasting potatoes later). Return the rack and duck to the tin and roast for another 35-45 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp.
Step 4
To check for doneness, wiggle one of the legs - it should move easily when the duck is ready. If needed, continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer the duck to a board or serving platter, loosely cover with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 5
For the sauce, drain off all but one tablespoon of the duck fat from the roasting tin. Set the tin over medium heat, add the onion, and fry for five minutes until softened and lightly golden. Pour in the orange liqueur and wine, letting them bubble for a few seconds, then add the orange juice and 150ml cold water. Simmer for about two minutes, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the tin. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a small saucepan.
Step 6
Add the reserved orange julienne and marmalade to the strained liquid and bring to a simmer. In a separate bowl, mix the cornflour with one tablespoon of cold water, then stir this into the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Add any juices released from the resting duck, stir, and simmer briefly.
Step 7
Pour the sauce into a warmed jug. Carve the duck and serve with an onion wedge per portion, spooning over some of the orange sauce and offering the rest on the side.