Name: Duck à l'Orange
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2¼ hours
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp. ground coriander; ½ tsp. ground cumin; 1 5–6-lb. whole Pekin duck, neck and giblets removed; 1 orange; 1 small onion, cut through root end into 8 wedges, divided; 4 sprigs marjoram; 4 sprigs thyme; 2 sprigs parsley; ½ cup dry white wine; ½ cup duck or chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth; ½ medium carrot, halved lengthwise; ½ celery stalk; ⅓ cup sugar; ⅓ cup fresh orange juice; 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar; Kosher salt; Duck or chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (if needed); 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour; 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature; ½ orange, zest removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler, strips thinly sliced

Duck with a orange marmalade glaze on a platter with oranges onions and sprigs of thyme.

Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

White wine, vinegar, and fresh citrus create layers of tangy flavor in this bright duck à l’orange recipe. It’s a far cry from the overly sweet orange duck recipes that dominated American kitchens in the 1960s, often hit with heavy pours of cloying orange liqueur—quite the departure from centuries-old versions made with bitter rather than sweet oranges. Of course, that’s all up for debate, as are the recipe’s actual origins: Some say that Florentine noblewoman Catherine de’ Medici brought duck à l’orange to France when she married the Duke of Orléans in 1533; others argue serving a whole duck with orange sauce seems awfully similar to the ancient Persian practice of cooking meat and fruits together. We’re just happy someone had the good sense to pair the juicy citrus with the gamy bird.

This version, a 2006 adaptation of a recipe from Gourmet 1943, bridges the gap, using fresh-squeezed orange juice and zest and lots of aromatic herbs and spices. Roasting the duck breast side up and finishing it beneath the broiler guarantees crispy skin, and the drippings from the bottom of the pan give the sauce a luscious flavor and texture. Presenting a whole duck always feels luxurious—for maximum drama, garnish your bird with a few extra orange slices, charred if you like, and carve tableside.

Note: Reserve the carcass after carving the meat to make duck stock, which you can use to make soup, cook a batch of grains, or sip by the fire.