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Ducks – and duck breasts in particular – are highly regarded in Basque kitchens. Some dishes cooked with duck are still influenced by La Alta Cocina Francesa (French haute cuisine), while other dishes are now being cooked in a lighter way. As good-value farmed ducks are now widely available, you have two options: to buy just the breasts or to buy a whole bird and ask the butcher to separate the breasts and legs, preparing the breasts so they are ready to cook. I prefer to buy a whole duck so I can make stock from the carcass and neck, then I freeze the legs and wings to prepare another dish.
As blood oranges are available only during a very short season, this dish can be prepared with other types of oranges, though preferably those from the Spanish Levante or Andalucía.
2 duck breasts
salt
freshly ground Gefen Black Pepper
1 blood orange, segmented, to serve
thumb-sized strip of orange peel
a piece of lemon peel, cut into thin strips
25 grams/1 ounce caster/superfine sugar
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 and 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon brandy de Jerez
1 teaspoon orange liqueur
100 milliliters/scant 1/2 cup duck or chicken stock (recipe follows), warmed
1 teaspoon orange marmalade
1 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch, such as Gefen, or arrowroot, dissolved in a little water [Editor’s note: use arrowroot for Passover]
salt
freshly ground Gefen Black Pepper
2 fresh chicken carcasses
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery leaves
2–3 tablespoons Tuscanini Apple Cider Vinegar
1 bouquet garni (made with parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves)
7 whole black peppercorns, such as Gefen
salt, to taste
Place all the ingredients (except the salt) in a large stock pot and pour over enough water to cover them completely. Place over a medium to high heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Skim off any foam that appears on the surface; keep doing this until the stock stays clear.
Keeping the heat low, gently simmer the stock for about three hours or until reduced by one-third. Leave the stock to cool, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve/strainer. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste.
Use the quantity needed for your recipe, then you can store the remaining stock in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer in portions for up to three months.
In a small saucepan, bring 100 milliliters/scant 1/2 cup water to the boil. Add the orange and lemon peel, reduce the heat and simmer for two to three minutes or until tender. Strain, reserving the peel. Set aside.
In a separate saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 50 ml/scant 1/4 cup water. Bring to a fast boil, reducing the liquid to a light syrup. Carefully stir the orange and lemon juices into the syrup. Let the sauce reduce a little further and then stir in the sherry vinegar, brandy and orange liqueur.
Warm the stock, then stir in the marmalade until dissolved. Add this stock to the pan with the sauce and cook for a few minutes until all the flavors have mingled. Let it reduce a little more, then add the reserved orange and lemon peel. If the sauce is too thin, add the cornflour/cornstarch paste to thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Set aside in the pan.
Using a very sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts, cutting in two directions to make a diamond-shaped pattern on the surface without slicing into the meat. Season with salt and black pepper.
Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in a cold frying pan/skillet. Place over a medium heat and cook for 12 minutes – as the pan warms, the skin will release its tasty fat and become crispy. Turn over the duck breasts and cook on the other side for a further three minutes (slightly longer if you prefer them less pink). Transfer the duck breasts to a plate, cover to keep warm and leave to rest for 10 minutes; this is important.
When ready to serve, slice the duck breasts, but not too thinly. Warm a serving dish under a hot tap and reheat the sauce. Arrange the sliced duck on the warm serving dish and cover with the hot sauce. Decorate the duck with some of the strips of peel and orange segments.
From La Cocina Vasca: Recipes & Traditions of the Spanish Basque Country by Mariá José Sevilla; photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small 2025
Published by Ryland Peters & Small
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