Pan-Seared Duck with Orange Sauce, Duck Fat Mashed Potatoes and Arugula Almond Salad

Think a dish like duck à l’orange requires a plane ticket to France or a reservation at the fanciest French restaurant in town? Think again! This luxurious meal can be whipped up from the comfort of your very own kitchen-in just 40 minutes, no less. There’s pan-seared duck glazed in a savory-sweet, thyme-flecked orange sauce, creamy duck fat mashed potatoes and an arugula salad bursting with juicy orange segments, pickled shallot and almonds.

Treat your taste buds to a trip-no passport required! This recipe is perfect for a special date night or when you want to impress dinner guests without spending hours in the kitchen. The combination of rich duck, tangy orange and creamy potatoes is simply irresistible.

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Ingredients

12 ounce Yukon Gold PotatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce ThymeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Duck BreastsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon Red Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OrangeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Apricot JamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Dijon MustardView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 ounce ArugulaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 ounce AlmondsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry all produce. Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces (for smoother texture, peel potatoes first). Place in a large pot with a few thyme sprigs (reserve the rest for later) and enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot. Keep covered off heat until ready to mash.
2. Meanwhile, pat duck dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in a large, preferably nonstick, pan. Cook over medium heat, carefully reserving rendered fat in a small bowl, until skin is crisp, 15-20 minutes. Lower heat if skin browns too quickly. While duck cooks, halve and peel shallot; thinly slice one half (whole shallot for 4 servings). Toss sliced shallot in a separate small bowl with half the vinegar, 1 tsp sugar (1½ tsp for 4) and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Zest orange until you have 1 tsp zest (2 tsp for 4 servings). Halve orange; squeeze juice from one half into a third small bowl. Peel remaining orange half; dice into ½-inch pieces. (For 4, squeeze juice from two halves; peel and dice remaining orange.) To the bowl with orange juice, add apricot jam, chicken stock concentrate, half the orange zest and remaining vinegar. Strip thyme leaves from remaining sprigs until you have 1 tsp (2 tsp for 4); roughly chop leaves.
4. Once duck skin is crisp, flip and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes more. Transfer duck to a cutting board to rest. Add chopped thyme to the same pan over medium heat and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp butter until melted. Turn off heat.
5. Heat the pot with drained potatoes over medium-low heat. Mash with sour cream and 1 tbsp butter (2 tbsp for 4 servings) until smooth and creamy, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. Stir in reserved duck fat to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat.
6. In a large bowl, combine the pickling liquid from the shallot, Dijon mustard, a large drizzle of olive oil, remaining orange zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with arugula, pickled shallot, diced orange and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Slice duck crosswise. Divide duck, salad and potatoes between plates. Spoon orange sauce over duck and serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use chicken instead of duck?

Yes, but the cooking time and fat content will differ. Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for best results and adjust cooking time accordingly.

How do I know when the duck is done?

Duck breast is best served medium-rare (130°F internal temperature) to medium (140°F). Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.

Can I make the mashed potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, you can mash the potatoes up to an hour ahead and keep them warm in a covered pot. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or potato cooking liquid.