Duck à l’Orange with Duck-Fat Mashed Potatoes & Mixed Greens Almond Salad

Step 1

• Wash and dry produce. • Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. (TIP: For a smoother texture, peel potatoes first.) Place in a large pot with a few thyme sprigs (you’ll use the rest in step and enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. • Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot. • Keep covered off heat until ready to mash.

Step 2

• Meanwhile, pat duck* dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. • Place skin sides down in a large, preferably nonstick, pan. Cook over medium heat, carefully reserving fat in a small bowl as it renders, until skin is crisp, 15-20 minutes. TIP: Lower heat if skin begins to brown too quickly. • While duck cooks, halve, peel, and thinly slice half the shallot (whole shallot for 4 servings). Toss sliced shallot in a separate small bowl with half the vinegar (you’ll use the rest in the next step), 1 tsp sugar (1½ tsp for 4), and a big pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 3

• Strip thyme leaves from remaining sprigs until you have 1 tsp (2 tsp for 4 servings); roughly chop leaves. • Zest orange until you have 1 tsp (2 tsp for 4). Halve orange; squeeze juice from one orange half into a third small bowl. Peel remaining orange half; dice into ½-inch pieces. (For 4, squeeze juice from two orange halves; peel and dice remaining orange.) • To bowl with orange juice, stir in jam, stock concentrate, half the orange zest, and remaining vinegar.

Step 4

• Once skin is crisp, flip duck in pan and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board to rest. • Add chopped thyme to same pan over medium heat and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Stir in orange juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in 1 TBSP butter until melted. Turn off heat.

Step 5

• Heat pot with drained potatoes over medium-low heat. Mash with sour cream and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) until smooth and creamy, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. • Stir in reserved duck fat to taste. Season with salt and pepper. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Step 6

• In a large bowl, combine shallot pickling liquid, mustard, a large drizzle of olive oil, remaining orange zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with mixed greens, pickled shallot, diced orange, and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. • Slice duck crosswise; divide between plates along with salad and mashed potatoes. Spoon sauce over duck and serve.