4 simple meal ideas to
discover duck

Did you know that duck is a very versatile meat that can be seasoned to your exact liking? Here are few meal ideas to help you discover this wonderful meat!

The classic duck à l’orange

To prepare duck à l’orange, you’ll need a whole duck, two oranges, a clove of garlic, 4 tablespoons of marmalade, salt, and pepper. For the orange sauce you’ll need 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of orange zest, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 2/3 cup of orange juice. Start by preheating the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the cavity and fill it with salt, pepper, and orange slices. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes before lowering the temperature to 325°F. Cook for another 2 ½ to 3 hours and regularly baste with the cooking juices. About 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, spread the marmalade on the duck.

While the duck cooks in the oven, prepare the orange sauce. In a pot, combine the sugar, orange zest, and cornstarch. Add the orange juice and 3 tablespoons of cooking juices. Bring to a boil and constantly stir. Add 1 tablespoon of the marmalade sauce when you’re about to serve. This delicious dinner is guaranteed to please the entire family!

Roasted duck with apple and ginger

If you feel like a meal with a hit of flavour, ginger is always a good idea! For this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients: a whole duck, two onions, three apples, 4 tablespoons of grated ginger, 6 tablespoons of maple syrup, 4 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Start by preheating the oven to 300°F. Chop the apple and onions into large chunks. In a bowl, combine them with the ginger, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Stuff the duck with this mixture and add a bit of water in the bottom of the pan before putting in the oven. Cook uncovered for 2 ½ hours and regularly baste it with its cooking juices. When it is finished cooking, you can use cornstarch to thicken the cooking juice and make a wonderful sauce for the meat.

Duck with caramelized pears

Duck is a meat that pairs wonderfully well with fruits, and pears are no exception! You’ll need a whole duck, three pears, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter, a few shallots, ½ cup of white wine, demi-glace sauce, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, 1 cup of water, salt, and pepper. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Generously season the whole duck with salt and pepper, add a bit of water in the bottom of the pan and cook in the oven for 1 ¼ hour. While the duck cooks, slice the pears. Add the pears in the broth around the duck and cook for another 20 minutes. Then add the brown sugar to the broth. Cook for another 20 minutes.

While the duck cooks, make the sauce. Cook the shallots in a pot with butter until they brown. Add the white wine to deglaze and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Then add the demi-glace and maple syrup and simmer for a few more minutes. Right before serving, you can add the caramelized pears and cooking juices to the sauce for maximum flavour!

Duck “hot chicken”

Wondering what to do with leftover duck? Add a new twist on a classic dish! Simply use duck instead of chicken in your favourite hot chicken recipe. You’ll need slices of white bread, a pack of brown sauce, half a cup of frozen green peas, and your leftover duck. This dish is extremely simple: make the sauce by following the instructions on the packet and add the green peas at the end. Pile a generous amount of duck between two slices of white bread, cover with brown sauce and peas, and you’re all set. A dish that will please young and old alike!

To find out if your duck is ready, simply take its internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh. If the thermometer reads 82 °C (180 °F), it’s ready to go! Simple, right? Whether for a dinner with family or friends, serving duck is always a winning recipe!