A cup of novelty

I think everyone has heard of this dish at least once, an old recipe from the ’60s, a little changed, but which still declares its power today. Now, if you want to cook for the whole family, I recommend using a full duck. If you are only two people you can only use the parts with a lot of meat. You don’t need any special equipment but it is essential to have a cooking thermometer and a fireproof pan. That being said, let’s get to work.

The duck:

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon black pepper

1-2 kg of duck

1 juicy orange, halved

1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges

half teaspoon ground cumin

half cup dry white wine

half cup duck stock (or chicken)

half carrot

half celery rib

2 flat-leaf parsley sprigs (fresh)

The sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (softened)

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon fine julienne of fresh orange zest (use a vegetable peeler)

a third cup sugar

juice from 1-2 oranges

a pinch of salt

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons duck stock (or chicken)

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 246°C.

2. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander. Pat the duck dry and sprinkle inside and out with spice mixture. Cut 1 half of the orange into smaller pieces and put in the duck cavity with parsley, thyme, marjoram, and 4 onion wedges.

3. The other half of the orange is squeezed into the duck stock, and the white wine is added and then set aside.

4. Put the rest of the onion pieces in the pan, add the carrot and celery and place the duck, which will go in the oven for about 30 minutes.

5. Add the wine mixture to the pan, reduce the temperature to 176°C and continue to roast for another hour and a quarter, until the thermometer shows 76°C. Be careful with the thermometer, it must not touch the bone. Turn on the grill setting for 3 minutes to form a golden, crispy crust above the duck.

6. Drain the juices from the cavity into the pan and then leave the duck on a cutting board for 15 min.

7. For the sauce, melt the sugar at a moderate temperature without stirring. Once it has started to turn into a copper caramel, mix lightly, add vinegar, orange juice, and salt and reduce the cooking temperature. Stir occasionally until the caramel has melted and then remove from the heat.

8. Throw away the vegetables from the roasting pan and pour pan juices through a sieve into a bowl, then skim off and discard fat. Add the duck stock to the pan juices.

9. Mix the flour and unsalted butter, bring the juices to a simmer and then add the butter mixture. Add the orange syrup and peel and simmer, whisking occasionally to prevent lumps from forming, until the sauce thickens slightly about 5 minutes. Cut the duck, add it to a plate, next to the garnish for those who want it, and add it to the sauce.

I know this dish is not to everyone’s liking but I hope it will be a source of inspiration for those who have not yet had the courage to try it. See you next week with a new article, Sunday at 1 pm, Helsinki time.

DEEA OLIVIA

Sources: epicurious.com