Duck a l’Orange & Fondant Potatoes

Duck a l’Orange and Fondant Potatoes Dish Guide

Serves 2

For the Fondant Potatoes

2 evenly sized russet potatoes

½ stick unsalted butter

1 cup chicken stock

Several sprigs fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, crushed lightly

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh herbs to garnish if desired

Cut roughly 1” off the end of each potato. Peel and cut in half to create potato medallions. Add to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. In an oven-safe skillet, add a T or two more olive oil over medium heat. Add in the potatoes, cut side down. Sear for 5-7 minutes then flip. After flipping, add in the butter, garlic and thyme. Cook and baste the potatoes for 5-7 minutes more. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 F.

Add the chicken stock to the skillet and place into the oven. Bake for 1 hour, removing every 15 minutes to baste the potatoes. Add more stock if needed.

For the Duck a l’Orange

2 roughly ½ lb duck breasts

1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed ideally, or good quality bottled)

1 T honey

1 T rice wine vinegar

1/3 cup orange marmalade

1 heap t Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed (paper on is ok)

Several sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Pat the breasts dry and use a pairing knife to cut slits in the duck skin down to but not through the flesh. Cut the slits in a 90 degree cross hatch every ½ inch or so for maximum fat rendering. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place breasts skin side down in a cold skillet and turn to medium heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crispy and most of the fat has been rendered out. Flip and cook on the flesh side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooking in the oven with the potatoes to your desired doneness. We recommend pulling at 130 for a nice medium rare/medium as duck will continue to cook as it rests. Use and instant read thermometer to gage doneness.

While the duck rests, drain most of the duck fat from the skillet and save for future use. Leave a heaping tablespoon in the skillet and return to medium high heat. Add in the crushed garlic and fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add in the orange juice and honey. Bring to a simmer and reduce by about half (roughly 5 minutes). Remove the thyme sprigs and garlic. Add in the marmalade and mustard and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add in the vinegar and taste sauce for seasoning. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

To serve, cut the duck breast on a bias into 4-5 pieces. Plate up and drizzle with the orange sauce and finish with some flakey salt. Add down a couple of the potatoes garnished with fresh herbs if desired and enjoy.