Duck Breasts a l'orange

Duck is as common in France as chicken is in North America.   Buying chicken here can be a challenge, not sure why.   Duck on the other hand, in all sorts of forms, is on every menu, lunch and dinner, in restaurants.   We are so spoiled here.

We made this last night, adapting Laura Calder's recipe.   Orange sauce sounds so "Madmen", and I expected a gluey sweet sauce, but this recipe is sensational and orange really complements duck.   Using the orange zest is the key.

Ingredients:
2 duck breasts
4 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water
4 large oranges
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2/3 cup stock
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Take the duck breasts out of the frig.  Heat a saute pan on low heat.  While waiting for the pan to heat, with a sharp chef's knife, score the fat side of each breast diagonally into diamond shapes.
Put the duck breasts in the pan fat side down and fry gently to render the fat out for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the oranges.  Set a kettle of water to boil.  Get a sieve and bowl ready.
With a small sharp knife, cut off the zest of one orange in wide strips, leaving behind most of the white pith.   Lay out the zest strips on a board and, with a large chef's knife, julienne or cut it into 1/8-inch strips and put them into the bowl.   Pour boiling water over the zest and drain through the sieve.  Repeat two more times.
Squeeze 2/3 cup orange juice.   Segment 2 of the oranges.   You will now have a bowl of blanched zest, a bowl of juice, and a bowl of orange segments.

Remove breasts from the pan after 10 minutes and drain the fat out of the pan.  Turn the heat up to medium, put the duck breasts back in the pan fat side down.   Cook fat side 7 minutes, turn over and cook for another 5 minutes.   Remove to a piece of foil and wrap tightly to rest and keep warm.

While cooking the duck, make the orange sauce.   In a small sauce pan, cook the sugar and water for 3-5 minutes (until golden), stirring constantly.  
Add the orange zest, vinegar, stock, and orange juice and cook down, stirring often.  Stir in the butter.
Finally, add the orange segments and heat through.  
Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Carve the duck breasts into slices and place on platter.  
Pour orange sauce over and serve.