Skip to main content

Orangina's 75th Anniversary. Ooh la la!

Advertorial (for more information please see my disclosure policy)

During 2011 Orangina is celebrating it's 75th anniversary.  Remember my (almost) disastrous first trip to French shores when I was 11?  It wasn't all bad as I discovered Orangina in a big way. It seemed very European to be drinking the slightly pithy, slightly sparkling orange juice straight out of the bottle (we were told it was the only way to drink it).  We also brought a couple of those bulb-shaped bottles home as souvenirs too as no-one we knew had ever had Orangina before.  That was 28 years ago (yes, I'm showing my age now).

Orangina have teamed up with chef Jean Christophe Novelli to revitalise a classic recipe.  Duck à l'Orangina c'est magnifique and you can find out exactly how magnifique the collaboration is by visiting their Facebook page. 

Here's Jean Christophe Novelli cooking the recipe for you and the full recipe is below:






INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 duck
  • 500ml Orangina
  • 1 small bunch sage
  • 1 small bunch rosemary
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • 6 medium onions cut in half
  • Sugar/honey
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 star anise
  • Small bunch thyme
  • 2 star anise
  • Little bit of vanilla seed
  • Little bit of cardamom 

METHOD:


  • Prepare some sea salt (the left over salt can be stored in a jar and used for roasts and roast potatoes to add instant flavour) in a food processor, chop ¾ of the sage and rosemary with the garlic, add two hand-fulls of salt and some black pepper
  • Trim the excess fat from the inside of the bird, then rub the salt mixture over the skin and sprinkle a little salt on the inside of the duck as well
  • Heat an ovenproof cast iron pan and dry fry the duck on all sides until golden brown
  • Lift the bird from the pan and discard any excess fat
  • Return the bird to the pan, add the onions, sprinkle with sugar/honey, add the star anise bay leaf, and thyme; shake the pan so that onions do not burn and add a little water/stock
  • Place the bird on top of the onions and place in a preheated oven 230C /Gas mark 8 for 30 minutes
  • Reduce the heat to 180C/Gas mark 4 and cook for a further hour (this time will need to be changed depending on the size of the duck); basting the duck regularly with its own juices. You might need to add a little stock or water if the juices are reducing too much
  • To check if cooked, pierce the leg with a skewer, the duck will be ready when the juices coming out are clear- be sure not to overcook it
  • In the meantime place the Orangina sauce, the spices and the bay leaves in a pan and reduce down to one third very slowly until syrupy in consistency
  • When the bird is cooked, remove the duck and vegetables from the pan and skim off from any fat from the pan
  • Return the duck to the tray and pour the reduced Orangina over it, place in a hot oven 230°C for 3 minutes, baste the duck again with the juices from the pan and return to the oven. Repeat the process a few times until the duck is glossy and shiny
  • Remove from the oven and leave to stand for about 20 minutes before carving
  • Serve with the retained vegetables and the sauce


Popular posts from this blog

26 Bands From The 80's : Where Are They Now?

The other day, whilst out with my husband , I was listening to some UB40 in the car and wondered what they were up to now.  Then I saw this post from Buzzfeed and realised I totally needed to steal that idea.   BUT the problem with doing a "Where Are They Now" of the 80s is that they are either dead, accountants (dead accountants?) or in their mid 50's and, having realised they have snorted their pension up their nose, are dragging themselves onto the Reunion Tour concert circuit. So here are my chosen few that form my A-Z of 80's 'Where Are They Now?'   Do you fancy adding any of your own? Art Of Noise.   Last seen looking for Peter Gunn and desperately hoping that Tom Jones tells a "I know A rt Of Noise" story about them on The Voice. Billy Idol.   Currently setting off airport alarms all over the world after having a steel rod inserted into his leg following a motorbike accident in 1990.  Practicing Rebel Yell on Guitar Her...

[REVIEW] Canvas print from PrinterPix

Whilst dabbling in a bit of (very) amateur photography I occasionally have a favourite photo printed onto canvas.  It's usually a scenery picture and used to brighten up the walls in the lounge or at a focal point on the stairs.  Most recently I have had two images put through the process by PrinterPix . I sent off an image of my son after his Territorial Army passing out parade in April (proud parent moment) and one of our dog on the beach from a few months ago.  They were returned within a few days and looked even better than I had imagined. Soldier Boy is on a canvas that is 16" x 20" on a standard thickness (2cm) frame.  Michi is on a 12" x 16" canvas which is stretched onto a thickeer (4cm) frame.  Both have been printed using a gloss finish.   All canvases from PrinterPix are hand-stretched, use fade-resistant ink and tension wedges are fitted into the corners of each frame to aid stability. What do you think?  I'm in l...

7 Things To Do In Roda, Corfu

This year, our summer holiday took us to Corfu. We were staying in Roda on the north coast of the island and had a wonderful time. It's a beautiful Greek fishing village and has the most chilled and welcoming atmosphere I've ever experienced.  I'd love to share my recommended seven things to do if you visit Roda. Sunset over Roda harbour Swimming With The Fishes The coastline at Roda is completely flat so you can walk out quite a distance and still only be in shallow water.  The beach in the village is very sandy but becomes rocky as you move out of town towards some of the beach front hotels (twenty paces out to sea, it becomes sandy again). The water is generally very calm, beautifully warm and clear enough to see the occasional fish swimming by.   Chill out at the Boathouse As we walked down from our hotel, The Boathouse was one of the first bars we stopped at before continuing into Roda. It is perfectly placed between the rural coastal road that l...