French Classics Made Easy (30 page)

4.
Add the wine and stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the shallots, garlic, orange zest, bouquet garni, tomato paste, meat glaze (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming frequently to remove all fat and impurities.

5.
Meanwhile, in a small, heavy saucepan, moisten the sugar with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, without stirring, until a deep amber color—dark, but not burned. Quickly pour in the vinegar—it will spatter violently for a second—and allow the mixture to boil for a moment. Remove from the heat. (This sweet-and-sour flavoring is called a
gastrique
.)

6.
When the orange sauce has finished simmering, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped liver, if using. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

H
OW TO
T
RUSS A
B
IRD
: All You Need Is String

Trussing a bird for roasting means to tie it in a neat bundle, which helps with the roasting, presentation, and carving. There are many methods and devices used for trussing, but for me, the simplest is the best. All you need is a length of good, strong, undyed cotton kitchen string.

1.
Cut off the first two joints of the wing.

2.
Push the tail of the bird into the body cavity.

3.
Wrap a length of string around the legs and tail sections and cross over as shown. Bring the string between the drumsticks and breast to the front of the bird.

4.
Turn the bird breast side down and tie the string securely across the back, in front of the wings.

5.
A fully trussed bird.

7.
Add about half of the
gastrique
to the orange sauce. Taste and add more, if necessary, to offset the bitterness of the orange zest. Stir in the Madeira and the 1 tablespoon Cognac. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate. If the sauce was made with the liver, it should not boil again. Reheat in a water bath (
bain-marie
). If liver was not used, simply bring to a simmer before serving.

8.
With a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 2 of the oranges and cut into very fine julienne. In a small saucepan, cover the julienned zest with water and bring to a boil. Drain and reserve the julienne.

9.
Peel and section all 5 of the oranges, making sure they are completely free of all membranes (see “How to Section an Orange,”
page 286
). Pour off any juice that collects. (The oranges can be prepared ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate.)

10.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack placed in the middle position.

11.
Prick the ducks all over with a fork to allow the fat to drain during cooking. Place the ducks on their sides in a large roasting pan, preferably nonstick (or rest the duck on the reserved wings; see “If You Don’t Have a Nonstick Roasting Pan,” facing page). Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

12.
Reduce the heat to 425°F and roast for another 15 minutes, then turn the ducks onto their other sides and with a bulb baster remove as much fat from the pan as possible.

13.
Continue roasting for another 30 minutes or so (roasting time is about 15 minutes per pound). For the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking, turn the ducks breast side up for even color. The ducks are done when their cavity juices run clear; or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160°F to 165°F. Let the ducks sit for 10 minutes before carving.

14.
Carve the ducks into individual serving pieces: Remove the legs and separate into drumstick and thigh. Carve the breast meat into several vertical slices (the outermost slices will have the remaining wing joints attached). Arrange the breast slices in the center of a serving platter and surround with the thighs and drumsticks. Let the platter of duck sit until about 5 minutes before serving time.

15.
Preheat the oven to 500°F with the rack placed in the upper third of the oven.

16.
Add the reserved julienned zest to the sauce and bring to a simmer. If the liver was used, reheat in a water bath (
bain-marie
).

17.
When ready to serve, place the duck platter in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to reheat. Meanwhile, sprinkle the orange sections with the dash of Cognac and warm them in a covered skillet over low heat, 3 to 4 minutes (save any juices that collect to thin the sauce, if necessary).

18.
To serve: Surround the duck with the orange sections and serve. Pass the sauce separately.

G
ASTRIQUE

In French cooking, savory dishes that are made with fruit often include a sweet-tart flavoring called a
gastrique.
A
gastrique
is a combination of sugar and vinegar that gets cooked until it’s reduced to a syrup. In some cases, the sugar is first caramelized for an extra depth of flavor (as in Duck à l’Orange).

NOTE

Remove the zest in strips with a vegetable peeler. Save the orange for sectioning in step 9.

ROAST DUCK

[CANARD RÔTI]

Although
canard à l’orange
is probably the best known treatment of duck, the bird’s rich, full flavor combines well with the tart-sweetness of many fruits. This is a basic recipe for a simple roast duck—delicious in its own right—to which you can add one of three fruit sauces in the recipes that follow. As with Duck à l’Orange, the roasted duck can be carved ahead of time, and then reheated before serving (follow steps 14, 15, and 17 on the facing page).

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 ducks (about 5 pounds each)

2 onions, quartered

1 carrot, thickly sliced

1 celery rib, cut into 4 pieces

2 shallots, halved

4 sprigs parsley

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups water or chicken stock

I
F
Y
OU
D
ON’T
H
AVE A
N
ONSTICK
R
OASTING
P
AN

If you don’t have a nonstick roasting pan, cut off the first two joints of the wings. Separate the resulting portions at the joint, yielding four 3-inch pieces. Place the pieces down the middle of the roasting pan, about 2 inches apart, to form a rack for the duck to rest on.

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack placed in the middle position.

2.
Prepare the ducks for roasting: Cut off the first two joints of the wings (leaving the third portion of the wing attached to the body). Set the wings aside with the necks, hearts, and gizzards. Truss the ducks (see “How to Truss a Bird,”
page 133
). Prick the ducks all over with a fork to allow the fat to drain during cooking. Place the ducks on their sides in a large nonstick roasting pan, or rest them on the reserved wings (see “If You Don’t Have a Nonstick Roasting Pan,” below).

3.
Place the necks, giblets, wings (if not already under the duck), vegetables, and herbs around the duck. Sprinkle all with the salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

4.
Reduce the heat to 425°F and roast for another 15 minutes, then turn the ducks onto their other sides and with a bulb baster remove as much fat from the pan as possible.

5.
Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so (roasting time is about 15 minutes per pound), and for the last 5 to 10 minutes of
cooking, turn the ducks breast side up for even color. The ducks are done when their cavity juices run clear; or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160°F to 165°F.