Christmas recipes. Baked Nantaise duck, glazed with honey and Sichuan pepper, on orange sauce

Baked Nantaise duck, glazed with honey and Sichuan pepper, on orange sauce

1 whole duck (circa 800 g)
½ orange
1 garlic clove
Lemon thyme
1 stub of ginger
Dijon mustard to taste
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste
Lime juice

For the sauce
2 tbsp. sugar
½ l freshly squeezed orange juice
Juice of 1 grapefruit
Cloves
Cinnamon
Ginger
½ chilli pepper
Bay leaves
Apple cider vinegar
Duck fond

Wash, pat dry and marinate the duck with mustard, salt and pepper internally and externally; stuff the cavity with orange and herbs. Stitch  the belly closed using toothpicks. Brush the pan with extra virgin olive oil, add a clove of garlic and a little ginger, place the duck breast down, adding a little lime juice. Bake at 190° C for about 45 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 160° C, flip the duck and cook for an additional 15 minutes, basting it with its cooking liquid. Add the sugar and dribble the orange juice, add the aromatics and bake everything in low heat until the liquid is reduced by two thirds. Remove the duck from the oven, remove some of the cooking fat and add more orange juice and grapefruit juice, keeping everything warm.

For the glaze

1 tbsp. of cracked Sichuan pepper
¼ l Port wine
2 shots of Cognac
1/8 l honey (preferably chestnut)
Rind of 2 limes 1 orange

Rosemary and lemon thyme, finely minced
½ tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated
Salt to taste

Toast the pepper in a pan, sprinkle with cognac and Port until completely reduced. Add honey and herbs, mix well and set aside. When the duck is cooked, brush with the obtained glaze and brown it in the oven until golden and crispy.

For side dishes we recommend a purée of celeriac, red cabbage and baked apple. Chop the duck and serve it with the side dishes and the sauce.