Step into the world of delicious sandwich creations featuring duck meat as the centerpiece of each dish! The amazing versatility of duck and the rich taste makes it a perfect main ingredient in your favorite meat forward sandwich recipe.
Although the masses have their own wavering opinions on Duck a l'Orange, it is a classic dish that has been around for centuries. It was started in the Medici court as a recipe of Catherine de' Medici's cooks. When she moved to France to marry the son of the French king, her recipes and cooks traveled with her. From that point on, Duck a l'Orange had become a popular way to prepare and eat duck in France. Throughout France's history, the way of preparing the dish went through slight changes but stayed mostly consistent. A simple orange sauce and roasted duck are all you need to make this dish. So why is it so controversial? In the 1960s, Julia Child began releasing cookbooks and her at home French cooking was finally accessible to the American public. Her original recipe had toned down the extremely sweet citrus sauce and added a more bitter bite to balance out the savory duck meat alongside a slight sweet hint of orange coating the crisp skin. For many people sweeter is superior, and for some, bitter is better but the opinions are strong on both sides of the food debate.
In many instances, this recipe is made for a special occasion such as celebrating holidays. Duck is a great protein to rethink and get creative with while brainstorming in the kitchen. Classic recipes like Duck a l'Orange can be transformed into an easy and on the go sandwich that you can make for friends and family to enjoy! If you are looking for something to quickly put together for a quick lunch at work, this recipe is perfect for meal prepping during the week!
For this recipe, we will be using Honey Orange Boneless Duck Breast. It can be substituted with Roast Half Duck, Duck Legs, and Whole Duck. For *Substitute Directions*, find them here!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Maple Leaf Farms Honey-Orange Boneless Duck Breasts
- 8 oz Plain Low Fat Yogurt
- 3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup Dried Currants
- 3 Tbsp Green Onions, sliced
- 3 Tbsp Slivered Toasted Almonds
- 2 Tbsp Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tsp Orange Zest
- Salt To Taste
- 12 Croissants
- 4 oz Mixed Greens
Before cooking Duck Breast, make sure to score the skin in 1/4" intervals. This allows the fat layer under the skin to be rendered off in the cooking process giving you a wonderfully crisp crunch to the outside of duck breast. The rendered Duck Fat can be used to sauté and grill veggies for a side!
After the skin is scored, place it skin side down in a pan on medium-low heat for about 8-12 minutes, until the skin has crisped up to your liking. After the fat is rendered out, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 400°F for 3-4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F. After you have placed the Duck Fat in a container for later use, you can now cut off the skin and discard it. Chill the meat. Once it has cooled, thinly slice the duck breast across the grain. Set that to the side and let it continue to cool while making the dressing.
To start your dressing, combine yogurt and mayonnaise in a bowl. Mix in the currants, chopped green onions, almonds, ginger and orange zest for the final punch of flavor in this delicious sauce!
Plate it up with lettuce and a croissant for a new take on a classic duck dish that dates all the way back to the 1500s. Duck and its rich history as a fine dining dish with an array of ways to prepare and eat it, is one of the many reasons people still enjoy using it in their kitchen. It has been around for ages, and there are still so many ways to discover how to enjoy different cuts of duck!