A native of southwest France, Chef Sebastien Rondier grew up eating Roasted Duck à l’Orange in place of the American holiday turkey.

Rondier’s interpretation of this “grand classique” in French cuisine evokes the flavors of autumn. The whole dry-aged Rohan duck is glazed and slowly roasted in garlic, shallots, star anise, cinnamon, black pepper, orange peels and orange segments.

“My recipe was created to marry the salty, sweet, acidic flavors of the duck with the bitterness of the endives and the turnips,” Rondier said. “For better time management, I recommend preparing the legs one day before the duck breast.”

Sebastien Rondier is executive chef at Brabo Brasserie and Brabo Tasting Room. Rondier and the Brabo Brasserie team have prepared a variety of eat-in and take-home menu items for Thanksgiving. To learn more, call 703-894-3440. 

Recipe: Roasted duck à l’orange with caramelized endives and baby turnips

Ingredients

1 Rohan or Muscovy duck, approximately 4-5 lbs.
4 endives
1 sliced orange
8 baby turnips
2 sliced shallots
2 oz. garlic cloves
1 oz. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 each star anise
2 tbsp. Acacia honey
5 oz. red wine
1 oz. sherry vinegar
5 oz. orange juice
2 cups chicken stock
3 oz. salted butter
Salt
Olive oil

Directions

The duck

• Carve the legs and keep the breast attached to the body of the duck.
• Salt and roast the duck legs in the oven with shallots, garlic and orange slices for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until everything is caramelized.
• Add 1 oz. butter and deglaze with orange juice, sherry vinegar, red wine, whole black pepper and star anise.
• Add chicken stock, cover and braise in the oven at 320 degrees for two hours.
• When braised, delicately remove the legs, strain and reduce the sauce to allow the flavors to become concentrated, then set aside.
• While the duck legs are braising, season the breasts with salt and ground black pepper, drizzling olive oil and spreading butter all over the skin.
• Roast breasts in the oven at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Cover the duck with aluminum foil and let the duck rest while preparing the vegetables.

The vegetables

• Peel the turnips and blanch them in salted boiling water until tender.
• Cut the endives in half and roast them with butter, salt, pepper, orange zest and orange juice until they’re cooked through.
• Add the turnips and cook everything together for an additional three minutes.
• Finish with a splash of sherry vinegar.

To finish

• In a small bowl, mix the cardamom, cinnamon, fennel and black pepper to create a spice mix.
• Glaze the duck breast with honey, and then spread the spice mix on top of the honey.
• Place the duck into the oven at 380 degrees for 25 minutes until a crispy skin is obtained.
• Reheat the duck legs, the endives and the turnips together in the sauce.
• Add some ground black pepper to finish.

Presentation

• Carve and slice the duck breast, dividing the bird evenly onto four plates, along with the duck legs.
• Place two halves of endives, a couple of turnips and one orange slice per plate.
• Add another coat of glaze to the duck on each plate.