A whole duck roasted and served with a glossy sauce of caramel, vinegar, and bitter orange — Canard à la bigarade is the elegant ancestor of “duck à l’orange”, deeply rooted in 18th- and 19th-century French gastronomy.
FR / EN
Canard à la bigarade / Roast Duck with Bitter Orange Sauce
Regional Style
Parisian Grand Cuisine / Courtly and Belle Époque Tables
Servings
Serves Four
Ingredients
- For the duck
- 1 whole duck (1.5–2 kg), preferably Challans or similar
- Salt and black pepper
- Optional: a few branches of thyme or bay leaf inside the cavity
- For the sauce bigarade
- 100 g sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 200 ml veal or poultry stock
- Juice of 1 bitter orange (or mix 2 parts Seville orange + 1 part lemon)
- Zest of 1 bitter orange, blanched and finely julienned
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Curaçao (optional)
- 20 g butter (for finishing)
- Salt and pepper to taste
One tablespoon is approximately 15 ml, and a teaspoon is approximately 5 ml.
Preparation Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Season the duck inside and out. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Roast for 45–55 minutes, basting occasionally, until the skin is golden and crisp and the juices run clear. Let rest 10–15 minutes before carving.
While the duck roasts, prepare the bigarade sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the sugar dry over medium heat until it becomes a medium caramel. Carefully deglaze with the vinegar and reduce briefly. Add the stock and orange juice, and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Blanch the orange zest strips in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, drain, and reserve. Stir the zest into the sauce. Finish with butter off the heat and adjust seasoning. If desired, add a splash of orange liqueur.
Carve the duck and arrange slices on a warm serving platter. Spoon the hot sauce over and around the meat. Garnish with additional orange zest or fresh citrus slices.
Serving Suggestions & Garnishes
Serve with gratin dauphinois, roasted salsify, or buttered green beans. In formal settings, it was traditionally accompanied by turned vegetables and spooned sauce served à part.
Tips, Tricks, or Variations
If Seville oranges are unavailable, a combination of sweet orange juice and lemon juice (in a 2:1 ratio) approximates the flavor. For more profound richness, deglaze the roasting pan and add those juices to the sauce. Duck legs may be crisped separately for more control.
Historical & Cultural Context
Canard à la bigarade dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when the use of bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium) — also known as bigarades — was everyday in aristocratic kitchens. The pairing of roast duck with citrus and a caramel-vinegar reduction has become a hallmark of haute cuisine, celebrated for its balance of richness, acidity, and aromatic sweetness.
By the 19th century, the dish had become a feature in Parisian grand restaurants and formal family meals. It is a masterfully restrained preparation: simple ingredients brought into harmony through careful technique.
In the 20th century, the dish evolved into what became known as Canard à l’orange—a sweeter, more flambeed cousin. Still, à la bigarade remains the purer, older form, closer to its courtly roots and defined by its use of the rare bitter orange and an emulsified sweet-sour sauce.
