Same-Day Orange-Herb Duck Marinade

A quick few-hours soak for lean duck — bright orange & herb, on and off the same day

~1–2 lb · 5 min

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3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 1 Tbsp balsamic)
juice + zest of ½ orange (duck loves orange)
3 garlic cloves, smashed · 1 shallot, sliced
1–2 sprigs thyme or rosemary · ½ tsp pepper · pinch salt

What you need

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 1 Tbsp balsamic)

juice + zest of ½ orange (duck loves orange)

3 garlic cloves, smashed · 1 shallot, sliced

1–2 sprigs thyme or rosemary · ½ tsp pepper · pinch salt

Whisk & soak a few hours. Whisk everything and marinate the breasts 2–6 hours, no longer, in the fridge. Lean duck needs only a short soak — past a day the acid breaks the muscle down into something pasty.
Pat dry, sear like a steak, pull pink. Scrape off the shallot/garlic, pat bone-dry, and sear hot; pull at deep pink (130–135°F) and rest. See the wild duck dinner for the full cook.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Whisk & soak a few hours. Whisk everything and marinate the breasts 2–6 hours, no longer, in the fridge. Lean duck needs only a short soak — past a day the acid breaks the muscle down into something pasty.

2. Pat dry, sear like a steak, pull pink. Scrape off the shallot/garlic, pat bone-dry, and sear hot; pull at deep pink (130–135°F) and rest. See the wild duck dinner for the full cook.

✨ Untested — Claude drafted this one from scratch; it hasn't been cooked and amended in our kitchen yet, so treat the amounts as a starting point. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.