Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce
As a young girl, one of my favorite things I loved to do besides sports was to read. With a wild imagination and a desire to discover many unknown destinations, cultures, traditions and dishes, reading was a good way to fulfill all of these. It wasn’t hard for me to read for several hours every day.
One of my high school girlfriends and I were the same way. After finishing our books, we switched books and then exchanged our opinions about them. The librarians at our private girl’s school knew Isabelle and I very well and even gave us some “privileges” that the other girls didn’t have. After our second year, girls started to follow in our footsteps and we formed a “Book Society”… cute! The librarians also lent us books to read that we would have never personally picked ourselves.
When I was reading and it was something I didn’t know, I went ahead and did some research. Isabelle wasn’t like me in this regard– actually I was the only one doing that – and she relied on me many times to explain things to her that she didn’t know.
One day as I was reading a novel, the author mentioned a dish I never had before. Just the way it was described, I could not only almost smell and taste it but it was also something I really wanted to try. I went to my parents kitchen and showed it to them hoping they would make it… well, that never happened!
Years later, after I had just moved to Toronto, I was asked out on a date and he took me to The Select Bistro located on Queen Street back then – now it’s located on Wellington Street. When I started looking at the menu, I saw this particular dish and suddenly it dawned on me… that was the dish I had read about when I was a teenager and somehow had never tasted it. Without hesitation I ordered it! It was Duck à l’Orange! Although I had previously seen it on menus many times, somehow I never ordered it. I’m so glad I did that night because it was perfectly cooked just the way I imagined it when reading that book…
After becoming a regular at The Select Bistro, I eventually started making this dish at home. I was quite surprised that I nailed it on my first attempt. Was it because I ordered it so many times at one of my favorite restaurants? Maybe but for me just making a dish that I was so curious about for more than 15 years and successfully make it was a big achievement on its own.
A few years ago though, I decided to make a slight change to one of my old time favorites. Overnight it became my Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce! Oh my… it’s so amazing! Switching from regular to blood oranges made a delicious impact on the recipe by giving the sauce a deeper, richer taste.
Another change I made to this new “improved” recipe was to spice things up a little by adding a spice that is too often ignored; harissa. Without overpowering the incredible flavor of the duck, this spice complements the dish perfectly. Now this Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce is absolutely mouthwatering!
You can make this for a weeknight dinner but it’s definitely an elegant meal to have when you’re entertaining at home. I like to serve this with my Scalloped Potatoes and steamed vegetables. Surprisingly uncomplicated, this Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce will absolutely wow everyone including yourself!
Bon Appétit!
Similar to this Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce, here are more amazing elegant recipes for you to try…
– Pork Tenderloin Vitali
– Sautéed Scallops with Beurre Blanc
– Braised Beef Short Ribs with Sherry & Shiitake
– Red Snapper en Papillote
– Veal Ossobuco
– Spanish Paella
– Fettuccine alle Vongole ~ Clam Fettuccine
– Lamb Chops with Balsamic & Red Wine Reduction
– North African Chicken Thighs with Dates & Pomegranate Molasses
and for even more great poultry recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Poultry
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Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce
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Ingredients
DUCK BREASTS
- 4 large duck breasts, skins scored in a crosshatch pattern
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
BLOOD ORANGE SAUCE
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1 cup freshly squeezed blood oranges (about 4 oranges) tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar such as demerara, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp. harissa
- 1 tsp. hot paprika
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp. beurre manié tips & tricks
Directions
DUCK BREASTS
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Pat dry the breasts with paper towel and season with salt and pepper; let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- In a cold pan without oil or butter, place breasts, skin side down. Turn the heat on medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until the skins are nicely browned.
- Flip over and transfer them immediately to the preheated oven. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 140ºF.
- Remove from the heat and place them, skin side up, onto a cutting board to rest while making the sauce. Transfer the duck fat into an airtight container for other recipes.
BLOOD ORANGE SAUCE
- Return the pan to the burner and set the heat to medium. Add garlic and ginger; sauté for 30 seconds scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in blood orange juice and add brown sugar, harissa, hot paprika and chicken broth; stir. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Add beurre manié and stir until completely dissolved and the sauce thickens.
- Slice breasts and drizzle the sauce over. Serve with Scalloped Potatoes and veggies.
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