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Magret de Canard a l'Orange

Duck breast in orange sauce

45min
617kcal
43.7gprotein
Magret de Canard a l'Orange — French recipe, finished and plated
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Ingredients

Servings 2
  • 2 Duck breast
  • 3 Orange
  • 60 g Sugar
  • 30 ml Sherry vinegar
  • 40 ml Cognac / Brandy
  • 200 ml Chicken stock
  • 30 g Butter
  • 1 Shallot
  • 2 sprigs Thyme
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black pepper

Method

  1. Score the duck skin in a diamond pattern, cutting through the skin but not into the flesh. Pat dry. Salt the skin and flesh heavily.
  2. Rest the salted duck at room temperature so the surface dries.
  3. While the duck rests, mince the shallot.
  4. While the duck rests, peel the zest from one orange in strips, then juice all the oranges.
  5. Place the duck skin-down in a cold skillet, then bring up to medium heat. Render slowly, pouring off the fat as it pools, until the skin is mahogany and crisp.
  6. Flip the duck and cook for medium-rare (54C / 130F internal). Lift onto a warm plate and grind the pepper over the top.
  7. Let the duck rest on the warm plate so the juices settle.
  8. Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the sugar and vinegar over medium. Cook without stirring until it turns a deep amber caramel.
  9. Pull off the heat and add the orange juice (it will hiss). Return to medium and stir until the caramel dissolves, then add the shallot, thyme, and cognac and let it bubble briefly.
  10. Add the chicken stock and the orange zest strips. Reduce on high until syrupy and glossy.
  11. Off the heat, swirl in the cold butter. Strain the sauce if you like it smoother.
  12. Slice the rested duck against the grain. Fan onto plates and spoon the sauce over.

Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.

About Magret de Canard a l'Orange

Magret de Canard a l'Orange is the modern bistro descendant of canard a l'orange, one of the cornerstones of classical French cooking, where the richness of duck is set against the sweet-tart lift of oranges. This version uses magret — the plump breast of a Moulard duck raised for foie gras — cooked as a single piece and served pink rather than braised whole, which is how most French home cooks and restaurants approach it today. What defines it is the contrast between deeply rendered, crisp skin and a rosy medium-rare interior, all pulled together by a glossy orange sauce built on caramel and cognac.

The eating experience is all about that tension: the skin shatters and gives way to duck that stays juicy and faintly gamey, while the sauce swings between the bitter edge of caramelized sugar, the bite of sherry vinegar, and the perfume of orange zest and thyme. Getting there depends on one key technique this recipe insists on — starting the salted, scored breast skin-side down in a cold pan and raising the heat slowly, so the thick fat layer renders out gently instead of seizing and leaving the skin flabby. Serve it sliced against the grain, fanned over the sauce, with something plain to soak up the extra: buttered potatoes, sauteed greens, or a simple gratin. It suits a two-person dinner where you want restaurant polish without a long braise, and pairs naturally with a medium-bodied red like a Pinot Noir.

Magret de Canard a l'Orange: frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Magret de Canard a l'Orange?

A serving has about 617 calories — 43.7g protein, 48.2g carbs, 22.1g fat, 1.6g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.

Is it high in protein?

Each serving has about 43.7g of protein, roughly 28% of its calories.

Is Magret de Canard a l'Orange gluten-free?

Based on its ingredients, Magret de Canard a l'Orange has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.

Is Magret de Canard a l'Orange dairy-free?

Not as written — it uses Butter. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.

How long does Magret de Canard a l'Orange take to make?

About 45 minutes start to finish, but only around 25 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.

How many servings does Magret de Canard a l'Orange make?

This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.