Duck a' la Orange, Vulnerable, Hot and Delicious!

I'm bored with my writing and photos. There are the days it comes so easy...and those I'm lost in a NEW POST screen without a single word to say. Worse is looking down at a finished plate (I spent considerable time planning) only to witness an utterly disappointing, unphotographable, unbloggable dish. My instant thoughts, "...add parsley! ...add lemon! ...anything to cover its flaws!" I should know by now it's a matter of time before I find myself in bed sulking, another day gone...without a post. "But I'll lose followers... support... people will think I am lazy!" {Sigh.}

How many times have I started writing a blog post...to get two thirds done and throw in the towel, realizing, "who cares?!" I want so badly to make every post meaningful and connect to the reader... that in pursuit of this connection... I often leave people bewildered. Is she really that emotionally attached to a piece of salmon? Wait, why is she depressed? Are those elephant bookends in a post about polenta? I fear my dear blogger friends are left wondering how and why they ever let this relationship get so far? Sadly, I can't even promise I'll change. For every post solely about a meal I make ...one like this is almost sure to follow. {Stronger sigh.}

So...here's a vulnerable, hot and delicious Duck a' la Orange I made last winter when this blog was merely a 'twinkle in my eye.'

Wait, is it upside down?!

Have you no shame woman?! Go fetch me some garnish!

The classic French dish appears in our home about once a year. Consider this recipe the next time you're craving elegance or a little something off the beaten path. Served with hot potatoes, haricots verts and a French Pinot Noir, it's the perfect meal to come home to after a snowy day on the slopes!

Duck a' la Orange,
From the Cooking School at La Campagne

1 4-5 lb duck
salt and pepper
1/4 cup sugar
2 T water
3 T red wine vinegar
Zest and juice from 6 oranges
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
2 T red currant jelly
1 t arrowroot
3 T. Triple Sec

Preheat oven to 425. Season duck w/S&P and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 1 hour, basting regularly.

Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil. Stir often and cook until syrup turns a light caramel color. Add vinegar and citrus juices. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Remove duck from oven and keep warm on a serving plate. Skim fat from the roasting pan and deglaze the pan with the wine. Transfer pan juices to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add jelly and caramel sauce ad return to a boil. In a small bowl blend arrowroot and Triple Sec. Add to the boiling sauce and cook until sauce is nap (thick enough to coast the back of a spoon). Add orange and lemon zest. Spoon sauce over duck and serve.