Canard Rôti à l'Orange — Roast Duck with Bigarade Sauce

Canard à l'orange is one of the defining dishes of classical French cuisine — a whole duck roasted until the skin is crackling-crisp and the breast rosé, served with sauce bigarade, a bittersweet orange sauce built from the pan drippings, caramelised sugar, vinegar, and bitter orange juice. The preparation bridges the rôtisseur (who roasts the duck) and the saucier (who builds the sauce), but in classical practice the complete dish is the rôtisseur's responsibility. The duck (Barbary/Muscovy for lean breast, or Nantes/Rouen for fattier, richer meat) is prepared: prick the skin all over with a fine needle (this allows subcutaneous fat to render without piercing the flesh), season liberally, and stuff the cavity with half an orange, thyme, and bay. Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes breast-up, then reduce to 180°C. Total roasting time: 55-65 minutes for a 2kg duck, targeting 58-60°C at the breast (medium-rare rosé) and 72°C at the thigh. Rest 15 minutes tented. The sauce bigarade: pour off all but 1 tablespoon of duck fat from the roasting pan. In a separate saucepan, make a dry caramel from 80g sugar (cook to deep amber, 170°C). Deglaze with 60ml red wine vinegar (the violent reaction is expected — stand back), then add the juice of 2 Seville (bitter) oranges and 1 lemon. Deglaze the roasting pan with 200ml duck or veal demi-glace, strain into the caramel-citrus mixture, and reduce until nappant. Finish with fine julienne of orange and lemon zest (blanched three times to remove bitterness). The sauce should be glossy, tawny-gold, sweet-sour-bitter in perfect equilibrium. Carve the duck at the table.