Dec 15
Pato a la Naranja Especiado – Spiced Orange Duck – Ànec a la Taronja amb Espècies
… with spices and honey!!! Isn’t it a Christmas dish? Hou, hou, hou… you better cook it after lunch or after dinner because the aroma that will fill your kitchen will drive you crazy otherwise!
To be honest, I must cook about 3 or 4 ducks a year and one is during Christmas for sure! This one was a young female and we bought it in an open air farm. The owner persuaded us to pick this young Muscovy Duck and asked us for some feed back.
The result couldn’t be better! It was exquisite, tender and superflavoured. If you like spiced meals and don’t want complicated recipes for Xmas, then try this Duck… you won’t regret it :D.
I still have to decorate my house for Christmas… I’m being so late this year. I’m dressing like Santa and shopping the gifts for the new bunch of kids in the family… I need a new table and chairs; the family is growing… Ikea… here I come! Time flies and the 24th, 25th and 26th are right by the corner!
Be good and be happy!
Recipe
Orange Duck with Spices and Honey
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 young duck cut in small pieces, 3 oranges, 1 glass of brandy, 2 medium onions, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 star anise, 1 table spoon of honey, olive oil, salt and black ground pepper.
- Heat some olive oil in a big casserole and golden up the duck (previously cleaned, salted and peppered). When the skin becomes toasted, reserve.
- Squeeze one orange and keep the juice. Cut the rest in slices and reserve. Chop the onions and reserve.
- Use the same casserole to cook the onion and the spices for 8 minutes aprox. Place the duck back into the casserole, pour the brandy on it, stir and let the alcohol evaporate.
- Pour the orange juice and the honey in the casserole. Stir and let simmer with the lid on for 1 hour and a half or until the duck becomes tender. 15 minutes before, add the orange slices and cover the casserole again.
- This is the kind of dish that improves when making it in advance. So if you cook it at midday, it will be wonderful at night.
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Comments
Wow! I’m squealing with delight right now because it looks so wonderfully delicious. I like all of the spices you added.
Love the honey and “jugo de naranja” or is that “sumo”? The spices are a nice touch too Nuria. Enjoy the festivities with your growing familia.
Hola preciosa!! El teu ànec a la taronja és majestuós i elengantíssim, quina presència al plat, de debò, és d’una suculència sensacional!! Petons.
Mmmmm, qué pinta!
What a wonderful dish Nuria to serve family and friends at any time. Have a wonderful holiday season!!!!!
We’ll be doing a bird on Christmas Eve but we haven’t decided what kind. This is one point in favour of duck. Enjoy the time with your family this Christmas! :-)
Nuria! This is indeed festive! I just made my very first duck this year – and it was so much fun! This looks great!
A beautiful and festive meal! A lovely way to enjoy the holidays with family.
What great flavors Nuria, and as always, beautiful pictures!
Love the spices included here – no wonder the house smells so good when it’s cooking. You’d better post a photo of you as Santa!
Wow, this duck looks incredible with orange flavor & spices! Duck is always my favorite!
Duck, spices, orange – all Christmas aromas where sweet and savory meld and take your senses to another place…Nuria’s kitchen!
I love duck dishes but I don’t cook them enough at home. The amount of fats scares me a little…this looks amazing! Great flavours.
hi nuria *
I love so much le canard à l’orange this is very famous here!! meery wmas to you and family !! cheers from very cold Paris
Pierre
Nuria, what a beautiful dish and the colors, precioso!
Nuria – sorry for being late on this. What a fabulous Christmas meal! Duck is great with sweetness as well as fragrant spices. I’m going to have to make this because it seems to me like halfway between a French-style duck a’l'orange and a chinese five-spice roast duck, both of which are awesome!