Cosce d'anatra all'arancia - Duck Legs in Orange Sauce

Autumn is in the air, with the first chilly mornings, with the shorter evenings, with the pleasure of staying at home at night. Yesterday, I officially inaugurate the new season by preparing a slow-cooked dish: the duck legs in an orange sauce. On Saturdays I buy my ingredients at the farmers' market, where I find the best duck ever. To get it, I need to be there early, not later than 9 am. Here we are!

I slow cook my duck in the oven for almost 3 hours but I first sauté it in the pan, coated in flour and without any oil in order to remove its grease and get a crispy skin.

I wash and chop the oranges, remove the pips before adding them with their skin on to the vegetables.

I sauté the onions, the carrot and the oranges with little oil for few minutes on high heat and then I add the duck and the Grand Marnier to the pan. The smell was delicious.

Cosce d'anatra all'arancia - Duck Legs in Orange Sauce
4 duck legs
flour to coat
3 large red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed, quartered and chopped
3 oranges
100 ml Grand Marnier
100 ml vegetable stock
sea salt
black pepper, freshly milled
extra virgin olive oil

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours

1. Coat the duck legs with flour.

2. Heat a large frying pan without any grease and sauté the duck legs for two to three minutes each side until crispy and golden. Season with salt and set aside. Keep the grease in a small jar for roasting potatoes.

3. Preheat the oven to 170 C.

4. Halve, quarter and chop 2 oranges and half, remove the pips and squeeze the remaining half. Keep the juice.

5. In the same frying pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and sauté the vegetables and the oranges for 3 to 5 minutes on high heat with a pinch of salt, stirring frequently. Add the duck legs and pour the Grand Marnier over it; cook for one minute. Add the orange juice and remove from the heat.

6. Arrange the duck legs and the vegetables in an oven dish with lid (otherwise, cover the dish with foil) and cook for at least 2 hours and half, until tender. Turn the duck legs every 30 to 40 minutes and add vegetable stock if needed. Adjust the seasoning.

7. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving. It is delicious paired with risotto giallo, polenta, roast or mashed potatoes.