Orange Braised Duck with Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes

For a real treat, we purchase a whole duck and braise it in orange and white wine (and a few other ingredients) to realize a duck that is supple and moist and infused with citrus and herbal flavors.  To accompany the duck, we roast potatoes in duck fat, giving them a crispy outside and a smooth, creamy inside.

Roast Duck with duck fat fries

To prepare the duck, we remove the back bone with a pair of kitchen shears, cutting along both sides of the backbone and saving it for stock.  We then cut through the breast bone with our [sharp] chef's knife, separating the duck in half down the center.  The duck is then seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides, placed on a cooking sheet, and refrigerated overnight.

Refrigerate overnight

The next day, we remove the duck from the refrigerator and slather the skin side with orange marmalade.  A layer of sliced celery, carrots, and onions fill a roasting pan, along with thyme parsley, cilantro, and a bay leaf.  On top of this, we squeeze an orange and add a cup of dry white wine, adding the orange peel to the pan.  The duck is placed, skin side up, on the bed of vegetables, fruit, and herbs and we cover the pan with foil and place it in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.

Prepare duck with vegetables, herbs, orange

While the duck cooks, we prepare the potatoes, first boiling small Yukon gold potatoes in for about 10 minutes, then letting them cool

Parboil potatoes

We then cut the potatoes in half, toss them in a mixture of flour and cornmeal, and place them, cut side down, in a pan of duck fat that has been preheated to 400°F (205°C).  The potatoes are roasted at the same temperature for 1/2 hour, then turned over and roasted for 20-30 minutes more until crisp and browned on both sides.  Using a slotted spoon, we transfer the potatoes to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and then serve seasoned with salt.

Potatoes ready to roast, in the oven (in duck fat)

Potatoes are ready and served!

Meanwhile, once the duck is done, we remove it from the platter to a cutting board, carve into pieces, and transfer to our plates.

Duck is done, on the cutting board

Duck is plated

Dinner is served

And, to accompany the orange braised duck with roasted duck fat potatoes, we open a bottle of a favorite Saint Emilion Bordeaux from Bordeaux Classique.