Duck Curry with Orange

This one is from Atul Kochhar, who is the first Indian chef ever to win a Michelin star. His restaurant, Benares, is on my short list of places I need to eat at soon.

Anyhow, this dish is uncomplicated in preparation but offers so many layers of flavor as you eat it. I kept finding out new tastes all the way up to the last bite. I am gad we have some leftovers of this. Yum.

600 g skinless duck breast fillets
100 milliliters vegetable oil
½ teaspoons cumin seeds
5cm cassia bark or cinnamon stick
2 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
200 g onions, sliced
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
3 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
100 g tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
300 milliliters orange juice
finely pared zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
½ teaspoons garam masala

Cut each duck breast into 4 or 5 pieces. Heat the oil in a large deep saute pan, add the whole spices and saute until they begin to crackle. Add the sliced onions and saute until softened and light brown in colour.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and chillies; cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. the chilli powder, turmeric and cumin, and saute for 30 seconds.

Add the duck pieces to the pan and saute until light brown in colour all over. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt, then add 100ml water and half of the orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes or until duck is almost cooked.

In the meantime, cut the orange zest into julienne strips and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and set aside.

Add the orange zest julienne and remaining orange juice to the pan and simmer until the duck is cooked. Check the seasoning and sprinkle with chopped coriander and garam masala to serve.