Page 213 - YC Cooking School

French Classics

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The ins and outs of canard à l’orange

Marinate for flavour infusion
You want your duck breasts to be properly juicy. So, let them enjoy a two hour-long soak in
the orange zest, salt, pepper and olive oil, which gives them a chance to absorb all those
beautiful flavours. Make sure that you turn the breasts halfway through so both sides are
exposed to the juicy marinade.

Use good solid cookware
As is the case with most recipes, a heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot will stand you in good
stead because it retains heat and distributes it evenly.

Remember food safety
To prevent bacteria spreading, always wash your hands with hot soapy water in between
handling raw meat and other ingredients. It’s also really important to thoroughly wash any
work surfaces or utensils that have had contact with the raw meat before using them for
any other cooking.

Not too hot, not too cold
It seems Goldilocks was right. You’re looking for that perfect temperature where you render
the fat on your duck breasts without burning them not too hot and not too cold. Turn your
flame or hotplate onto a medium heat; hold your hand 1cm above the pan and you’ll be
able to tell if you’ve got it at the right temperature. The noise that you hear when you put

the duck fat-side down into the pan is also a good indication that it’s hot enough.

Render the fat
What exactly does it mean to render fat? Chefs use this word to describe the process of

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