Anise Star

Duck a L'Orange Recipe

Duck just moved out of the fringes of gourmet type of eating. No longer are you able to only find duck at the finest cafes and culinary houses, but you can now buy mouth-watering duck fillet at your local superstore - so you can try and make it at home!

I was so excited last month to discover that Coles now carries duck. I know most butchers always have duck, but I suspect it's a pretty heavy sign where home cooking's headed when you can purchase exquisite duck at Coles. Maybe it's MasterChef or the economic downturn having folk getting more adventurous with their domestic cuisine, but duck isn't only for the gourmet executives.

Sure they cost $15 for 2 fillets but I was very keen to try and it out - it did not turn out to be crispy skin duck like Kylie's but I was still kind of excited to have made a decent duck dish at home with this gastronome electrified recipe.

Here's an easy recipe of a Duck a l'Orange

Ingredients :

The Duck

2 duck breast fillets
1 tbs rosemary
1 tbs tarragon
1/2 tsp pepper flakes
one tsp sesame oil

The Sauce

one 1/2 cup orange
one navel orange, peel removed
3 star anise
one tbs cinnamon
one tsp sugar

methodology

Rub rosemary, pepper,tarragon and oil into the skin of the duck fillets. Put duck pieces into steamer and steam for 12-15 mins. Till duck is just undercooked.

While the duck is steaming, heat your broiler or cooker to 250 degrees Celsius or higher. You can begin to make your sauce. Pour orange juice, cinnamon and sugar in shallow pan and bring to boiling point. Turn down the flame and boil slowly, stirring often to cut back the juice. When it becomes syrupy, add the orange pieces and the star anise and cook for an extra few mins.

While your sauce is reducing and once the duck is finished steaming, put it in an oven dish with any leftover juices and broil for roughly 5 mins till the spices and skin are just beginning to crisp. Do not forget to leave the range door ajar. ( I forgot and spent a good amount of time under the smoke detector with a mag fanning smoke )

take away the duck from the broiler and let cool. Serve over rice and pour your orange sauce over the duck and rice for optimum flavor. : )
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