Lola Duck a l’Orange – Chard Purse, Flageolet Beans, Assorted Olives, Caramelized Orange

There are few dishes that can take a diner back to the 70′s (or an outdated restaurant today) faster than duck a l’orange. Back in the day, it the sauce was finished and bird was carved table side. This does the flavor profile justice if not the showmanship.

Though not in view as they are in the chard purse, I am crazy about the technique I’ve developed for cooking beans. It starts like most versions in that they are soaked overnight in a large quantity of water. The next day they are drained and covered in chicken stock and large pieces of onion, carrot, tomato, split garlic, and a bouquet of thyme, rosemary, and sage are bound between branches of celery. Once brought to a boil and skimmed, the heat is lowered and the beans cooked at a soft boil until tender. They are then drained and cooled slightly in a wide surfaced pan. The broth is reserved and returned to the pot. Next, the vegetables and bouquet are all picked from the beans with tongs and added back to the broth. This is then reduced down to a glaze. In the meantime, the beans are seasoned (if the salt is put in at the beginning of the cooking process, the beans will never feel as though their cooked), and in this case tossed with some rendered duck fat. When the cuisson has reached the right consistency, all of the ingredients with the exception of the bouquet are passed through a food mill using a coarse die and added in. The seasoning is then adjusted if necessary and that’s it.

The orange is sprinkled with sugar and caramelized in a cast iron pan, and the sauce (bigarade) is made with caramel, red wine vinegar, orange zest, savory herbs, and duck stock.