Roasted Duck Legs with Orange Sauce and Wild Rice

4.61 from 64 votes

Roasted Duck Legs with Orange Sauce and Wild Rice

Roasted duck legs with orange sauce and wild rice is an elegant entree for a special event. The duck legs are moist, succulent and the flavors shine with the zesty orange sauce. This entree pairs well with the slight crunch from the wild rice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: roasted duck legs with orange sauce

Servings: servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Duck Legs:

4 duck legs
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Orange Sauce:

1 cup White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup orange juice about 4 oranges
1 to 2 garlic cloves grated
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liquor

For the Wild Rice:

1 cup wild rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 garlic cloves grated or finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the Duck Legs:

Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil and add a wire roasting rack on it.
Using the sharp end of a wooden skewer, prick several small holes in the duck legs. This allows the rich fat to be released while roasting.
Brush the duck legs with olive oil and season with salt and white pepper. Add to the wire rack on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the middle rack of the preheated oven.
Roast for 1½ hours, the internal temperature should be 175° F when fully cooked. Begin checking the temperature after roasting for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

For the Orange Sauce:

While the duck legs are roasting, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, bring wine vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, and garlic to a boil over medium-high heat, then adjust heat to low and simmer. Allow the sauce to reduce to 1-1/4 cups, about 20-30 minutes.
Stir in the honey, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Continue cooking until the sauce reduces to about 1 cup. It should look slightly syrupy and glossy, but it will still be a fairly thin sauce, closer to a light syrup than a thick pancake syrup.

To Cook the Wild Rice:

Add the chicken broth to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and when it begins to boil add the rice, garlic and salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, or according to your taste preference. Remove from the heat, drain off any remaining liquid, fluff, keep covered and reserve until ready to serve.
To Serve, Spoon a portion of wild rice on each of four plates, arrange one duck leg on the rice and spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of the orange sauce on the plate around the duck legs. Add orange wedges for garnishment.

Notes

Vinegar Choice: White wine vinegar has a lower acidity and won’t overpower the flavors in the sauce. You can also use rice wine vinegar if preferred. Avoid distilled vinegar, it’s too harsh for this recipe.

For a Thicker Sauce: If you’d like the sauce a little thicker, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water. Stir this slurry into the sauce just before whisking in the butter.

Serving Tip: To keep the duck skin crispy, don’t pour the sauce directly over the duck. Instead, spoon it onto the plate around the duck leg.

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