CLASSIC FRENCH DISH GETS UNE PETITE MAKEOVER

If this press release had arrived in my inbox on April 1st, I would have been convinced it was a wind-up ! The French are often serious food snobs (I should know, I'm married to one !) so I'm amazed it's a French chef who has come up with this surprising take on the classic Duck à l'orange. Try it if you dare, and let me know how you get on !

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DUCK A L’ORANGINA BY JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

The world famous French dish Duck à l'Orange has been reinvented by top celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli and international iconic soft drink, Orangina. The 5 AA Rosette and Michelin award winning chef has created a brand new recipe using a unique mix of aromatic herbs and spices to create a vibrant, zesty dish. The popular dish has been given a refreshing new twist, introducing Orangina as a central ingredient to the recipe. C’est magnifique!

To watch Jean Christophe Novelli create this delicious dish visit: www.facebook.com/OranginaUK  or http://youtu.be/LFx5BOd6rJU

Jean Christophe Novelli comments: “Orangina is an iconic, fun French brand with a fantastic history. I feel very nostalgic towards Orangina as it brings back childhood memories of the soft drink. Not only is Orangina a refreshing, zesty soft drink – it’s also a fantastic optional ingredient to use when cooking, as I’ve demonstrated with my Orangina inspired menu.”

Duck a L’Orangina has been created by Jean Christophe Novelli to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the brand.

INGREDIENTS:

· 1 duck

· 500ml Orangina

· 1 small bunch sage

· 1 small bunch rosemary

· 2 garlic cloves

· Sea salt

· Black pepper

· 6 medium onions cut in half

· Sugar/honey

· 2 bay leaves

· 1 star anise

· Small bunch thyme

· 2 star anise

· Little bit of vanilla seed

· Little bit of cardamom

METHOD:

· Prepare some sea salt (the left over salt can be stored in a jar and used for roasts and roast potatoes to add instant flavour) in a food processor, chop ¾ of the sage and rosemary with the garlic, add two hand-fulls of salt and some black pepper

· Trim the excess fat from the inside of the bird, then rub the salt mixture over the skin and sprinkle a little salt on the inside of the duck as well

· Heat an ovenproof cast iron pan and dry fry the duck on all sides until golden brown

· Lift the bird from the pan and discard any excess fat

· Return the bird to the pan, add the onions, sprinkle with sugar/honey, add the star anise bay leaf, and thyme; shake the pan so that onions do not burn and add a little water/stock

· Place the bird on top of the onions and place in a preheated oven 230C /Gas mark 8 for 30 minutes

· Reduce the heat to 180C/Gas mark 4 and cook for a further hour (this time will need to be changed depending on the size of the duck); basting the duck regularly with its own juices. You might need to add a little stock or water if the juices are reducing too much

· To check if cooked, pierce the leg with a skewer, the duck will be ready when the juices coming out are clear- be sure not to overcook it

· In the meantime place the Orangina sauce, the spices and the bay leaves in a pan and reduce down to one third very slowly until syrupy in consistency

· When the bird is cooked, remove the duck and vegetables from the pan and skim off from any fat from the pan

· Return the duck to the tray and pour the reduced Orangina over it, place in a hot oven 230°C for 3 minutes, baste the duck again with the juices from the pan and return to the oven. Repeat the process a few times until the duck is glossy and shiny

· Remove from the oven and leave to stand for about 20 minutes before carving

· Serve with the retained vegetables and the sauce

for more information and recipes : www.facebook.com/OranginaUK

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