Happy Birthday Dad!
Since you loved this recipe so much, I thought it would be the perfect birthday recipe.
I am always looking for new and inventive ways to cook the duck we get each fall. Not only do I try to have a duck meal at least once during duck camp – and of course I always am trying to one-up myself from last year – but we need ways to eat the duck we bring home the rest of the year too!
When googling recipes for ideas, I saw a lot of orange marmalade and orange recipes. I mean with duck a l‘orange being such a classic it does sort of make sense. But for some reason, I wanted an Asian-ish twist and orange chicken is one of my favorites. So I decided to throw in some Asian flavors like ginger and soy sauce.
I have to say, and this is going to be hard without sounding like I’m boasting a little bit, I am pretty darn proud of the flavors I was able to create just making it up as I went. This is probably the best recipe I have ever created and one that I can call 100% my own. AND everyone at duck camp agreed. My Dad couldn’t stop talking about how much he liked my other duck creations but how this one was way above and beyond.
It has an orange-ginger sauce and then I mix tender, slow cooked, shredded duck with the sauce and some sliced waterchestnuts to give the dish a little texture and crunch. Oh. My. Gosh. It was amazing!
Here’s what you need:
Plus the breasts of four ducks. The ducks aren’t in the picture because they were brining in the fridge. When I make waterfowl, I always like to brine it or soak it in buttermilk before I cook it. This removes some of the gamey taste. Just pop it in a plastic bag mixed with water that is salted so it tastes like the sea and refrigerate overnight.
Start by mixing up the sauce. I made this recipe up as I went along, so at first I made just enough sauce to put in the crockpot. Then while it was cooking, I had the brilliant (and so right) idea to make an additional batch to pour over the duck when it was done. That way the sauce on the duck was vibrant and fresh. So my recommendation is now to mix up a triple batch of what I used in the crockpot and only put in about a 3rd and reserve the rest for later. The pictures will only show a third.
In a bowl combine orange marmalade, the juice and zest of an orange, soy sauce, minced ginger, brown sugar, and some rice vinegar.
Whisk it all together until well combined.
I am in love with slow cooker liners (#CommissionsEarned). They might not look great in pictures but they sure do help with the clean-up. Add the duck breast to a slow cooker, preferably one with a liner.
Pour over a third of the prepared sauce and reserve the rest.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
When the duck is finished cooking, remove from the slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Set aside while you prepare the additional sauce to mix with the shredded duck. In a saucepan add the reserved sauce.
Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water to form a slurry. And simmer until it thickens.
Slice the waterchestnuts into thin strips. Add to the sauce.
Add the duck and mix to the sauce. Cook for a few minutes to reheat the duck.
Serve over rice and sprinkle with scallions.
Enjoy!
- 1 ½ c orange marmalade
- 3 oranges, zest and juice of
- ½ c plus 1 T soy sauce
- 3 inches of fresh ginger, minced
- ½ c plus 1 T brown sugar
- ¼ c plus 3 T rice vinegar
- Breasts from 4 ducks
- 1 T cornstarch
- ¼ c water
- 1 can sliced waterchestnuts, cut into long thin strips
- Rice, for serving
- One bunch scallions, sliced thinly on the bias (diagonally)
- Line a slow cooker with a liner, if desired.
- In a large bowl whisk together orange marmalade, orange zest and juice, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and vinegar.
- Add duck to the slow cooker. Pour over a third of the sauce.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Remove duck from slow cooker. Shred with 2 forks and set aside.
- Add reserved sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour into the sauce pan and whisk together. Simmer until it thickens slightly. Add waterchestnuts and shredded duck to the saucepan and mix together.
- Serve over rice and sprinkle with scallions.
Beautiful adaptation of an already great recipe. Well done!
I will give this a try soon.