Duck à l'orange

Ingredients

• 4 oranges
• juice of 2 lemons
• 70 g caster sugar
• 6 duck breasts
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 10cm x 2cm batons
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 star anise
• mashed potatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel 1 orange and slice the peel into very thin strips. Segment the orange and set aside, then juice the remaining oranges. Put the peel in a saucepan with the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar over a medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cook for 10 minutes or until it’s reduced down to a syrupy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Add the orange segments to finish.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Put the carrots, butter, salt, sugar, orange zest and star anise into a pan with 200ml of water and cook over a medium heat until the carrots are tender, around 15 minutes. Remove the carrots and reduce the sauce for a further 2-3 minutes until it becomes a glaze. Transfer the carrots back into the glaze and keep warm.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, pat dry the duck breasts and season well with salt. Place 3 duck breasts skin-side down in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the skin is crispy and the fat has been rendered. Set aside, skin-side up, on a baking tray. Wipe out the pan and repeat with the remaining breasts. Transfer all of the breasts to the oven for 4-6 minutes, or until still just pink inside. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes, before carving. While the duck is resting, gently reheat the orange syrup.

4. 4

   Serve the duck breasts drizzled with the warm orange syrup alongside the glazed carrots and a side of mashed potato.