Orange Mountain Duck

D&D 2024 recipe: Orange Mountain Duck. Source: Heroes' Feast. recipe type Dwarven, serves 4, diet Vegan Ingredients 3 or 4 oranges, preferably navels 4 boneless duck breast halves (about 8 ounces each) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 shallot, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1.5 tablespoons honey 1.5 tablespoons brandy or cognac Pinch of cayenne 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 firm-ripe Fuyu persimmon, peeled and diced into neat 0.25-inch pieces (optional) Instructions Finely grate 2 teaspoons zest from one of the oranges and set aside. Cut the peel and pith off the zested and a second orange. Working over a strainer set in a bowl, separate the orange segments. Discard any seeds and reserve the segments. Shake the strainer so all the juice drips into the bowl; pour the juice into a measuring cup. If necessary, squeeze one or both of the remaining oranges for enough juice to equal ⅔ cup and then set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°F with the rack in the middle of the oven. With a sharp paring knife, cut four or five diagonal slashes in the skin on each duck breast half, taking care to cut down to, but not into, the flesh. Dry the halves well and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a large nonstick skillet, set the skillet over medium heat, and cook, undisturbed, until most of the fat is rendered (if necessary, pour or spoon the fat out of the skillet occasionally) and the skin is deeply browned and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, adjusting the heat, if necessary, to prevent scorching. Turn the halves skin-side up and continue cooking, undisturbed, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part registers about 125°F for medium-rare or 130° to 135°F for medium, 2 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the duck to a heatproof plate, tent loosely with foil, and place it in the oven to rest and keep warm, about 5 minutes. Pour or spoon off all but 1 t...