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Duck with Apples and Oranges in the Oven
Duck with apples and oranges baked in the oven is an incredibly delicious, beautifully tender and properly juicy dish that earns its rightful place on any festive celebration table. The recipe stuffs the duck with fresh apple and orange pieces after a long marinating step, which produces a beautifully aromatic finished bird with a glossy mahogany skin and tender meat that practically falls off the bone. Thanks to the marinade prepared exactly as described in the recipe, the duck meat turns out properly fragrant and tender all the way through to the very centre of each piece.
The whole process takes about 130 minutes from start to finish in the oven, plus a generous 8 hours for the all-important marinating step. Plan to start the marinating the night before serving for the best possible flavour development. Duck with apples and oranges in the oven makes a wonderful addition to any properly festive table from birthdays and anniversaries to seasonal feasts and special celebrations. Serve sliced into generous portions with simple roasted potatoes, braised red cabbage and a generous glass of dry white wine.
Ingredients
Show ingredients
- duck carcass - 2 kg.
For the marinade:
- honey - 1 tbsp;
- mustard - 1 tbsp;
- curry - 1 tbsp;
- pepper mix - 1/2 tsp;
- dried garlic - 1 tsp;
- lemon juice - 1 tbsp;
- olive oil - 1 tbsp;
- nutmeg - to taste;
- salt - to taste.
For the stuffing:
- apple - 1-2 pieces (preferably sour);
- orange - 1-2 pieces.
Preparation
- Gather all the necessary ingredients on a clean work surface for making the duck with apples and oranges in the oven. Having everything measured and ready before you start the actual cooking process makes the multi-step recipe much easier to manage.
- Prepare the marinade for the duck. In a separate small mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of liquid honey. Honey forms the sweet glossy foundation of the marinade and helps the spices adhere properly to the duck skin during the long marinating time.
- Add 1 tablespoon of mustard to the honey. Use ordinary table mustard or a more pungent variety such as Dijon depending on personal taste preference and how spicy you want the finished dish.
- Pour in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. The acidity helps tenderize the duck meat during the long marinating time and adds a beautiful clean bright note that balances the richness of the duck.
- Add one tablespoon of curry powder to the marinade. Curry contributes a beautifully warm aromatic foundation and produces the characteristic golden colour in the finished cooked duck skin.
- Add one teaspoon of dried garlic. Dried garlic distributes more evenly through the marinade than fresh chopped garlic and adheres better to the duck skin during the long marinating time.
- Sprinkle in half a teaspoon of pepper mix. The mixed pepper blend contributes warm aromatic complexity to the marinade without any single pepper variety dominating the finished flavour profile.
- Add salt to taste. Start with about half a teaspoon and adjust upward later if needed during a small test of the marinade before applying to the duck.
- To taste, add a small pinch of grated nutmeg. Fresh grated nutmeg has a noticeably superior aroma and flavour to pre-ground nutmeg from a jar, so invest in whole nutmeg and a small grater if you can.
- Pour in 1 tablespoon of good-quality olive oil and mix everything together thoroughly with a small whisk. The olive oil binds all the other marinade ingredients into a thick paste-like consistency that adheres well to the duck skin.
- Rub the duck carcass thoroughly inside and out with the prepared marinade. Use clean hands or a silicone brush to ensure even coverage across every surface of the bird, including the cavity and under the wings and legs where marinade often misses.
- Cover the marinated duck with plastic wrap and let it marinate for 5 to 8 hours in the refrigerator, ideally overnight for the deepest most pronounced flavour penetration. Turn the duck occasionally during marinating for even coverage.
- When the duck has fully marinated, preheat the oven. Stuff the duck cavity with the prepared apple and orange pieces (optionally add 6 to 8 pitted prunes for extra flavour and sweetness). Secure the cavity opening with toothpicks. Transfer the stuffed duck to a deep baking sheet and pour any remaining marinade over the bird.
- Cover the baking sheet completely with foil to seal in the moisture. Place the covered duck in the oven for 80 to 90 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. The covered baking step keeps the duck meat tender and juicy throughout the long cooking time.
- After 80 to 90 minutes, take the duck out of the oven and remove the foil covering. Check the duck for doneness by piercing in several places with a toothpick. If clear liquid runs out without any traces of blood, the duck is properly cooked. Brush the duck generously with the rendered fat in the baking tray. Wrap the wings in small foil triangles to prevent burning, then return to the oven for about 10 minutes to develop a nice brown finish.
- After 10 minutes of uncovered roasting, take the duck with apples and oranges out of the oven. The dish should now have browned beautifully to a properly festive mahogany shade all over. Carefully remove the protective foil triangles from the wings.
- The duck with apples and oranges in the oven is now ready to serve. Transfer the finished bird to a large serving platter and bring it proudly to the table. Carve into generous portions and serve alongside roasted potatoes, braised red cabbage and a glass of dry white wine. Bon appetit!
Cooking video
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Always prick the duck skin all over with the tip of a sharp knife before marinating, since the small holes allow the rendered fat to escape during cooking and produce a noticeably crispier finished skin. The pricks also help the marinade penetrate deeper into the meat for more pronounced flavour. Take care to prick only the skin and the layer of fat underneath, not the actual meat, since meat pricks would let the natural juices escape during cooking.
Tip 2. Choose properly sour cooking apples for the stuffing rather than sweet eating varieties, since the sour apples balance the rich duck meat far more effectively than overly sweet ones would. To pair this beautiful festive duck with another celebration-worthy meat dish for variety, try our beautifully tender step-by-step duck in a multicooker as an alternative cooking method.
Tip 3. Save all the rendered duck fat from the baking tray after cooking, since this golden liquid is one of the most valuable cooking fats any home cook can have. Strain the warm fat through a fine sieve to remove any solids, transfer to a clean jar, and store in the refrigerator for up to two months. Use it for roasting potatoes, frying eggs or anywhere a rich savoury fat is called for.
Tip 4. Let the cooked duck rest for ten minutes loosely covered with foil before carving, since the resting time lets the juices redistribute through the meat for noticeably moister tender results. For another beautifully tender meat-based main course recipe to add variety to your weekly menu, try our beautifully tender oven-baked pork ribs as a heartier alternative.
FAQ
Can I cook duck without marinating?
Yes, but the result will be noticeably less flavourful than the properly marinated version. The marinade serves two important purposes: tenderizing the meat through acidic mustard and lemon juice, and infusing deep flavour through the spices. Without marinating, the duck will still cook through properly but will taste plainer and less juicy. If pressed for time, even a 30-minute marinade improves the result significantly compared to no marinating at all before cooking.
What can I substitute for honey in the marinade?
Brown sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup or agave nectar all work as substitutes for honey in this marinade with broadly similar results. Each substitute brings its own subtle flavour notes: brown sugar adds caramel depth, maple syrup contributes a gentle woodiness, and white sugar produces the cleanest neutral sweetness. Adjust the quantity slightly to taste, since some substitutes are noticeably sweeter than honey and may need slightly less to avoid an over-sweet final glaze.
How long does cooked duck keep?
Store leftover cooked duck covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three full days for best results. The flavour actually improves overnight as the meat continues to absorb the marinade fully. Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of broth, or in the oven covered with foil at 150 degrees Celsius for about twenty minutes. Avoid microwaving the duck, since the rapid heating tends to dry out the meat and toughen the skin.
Can I use frozen duck for this recipe?
Yes, frozen duck works perfectly well in this recipe. Thaw the duck slowly overnight in the refrigerator rather than rushing the defrosting process in cold water or the microwave, since slow thawing produces a noticeably better texture in the finished cooked bird. Pat the thawed duck completely dry with paper towels before applying the marinade, since excess surface moisture would dilute the marinade and prevent it from clinging properly to the duck skin.
