Last year we had Turkey with Whisky for Christmas dinner. That proved to be rather heavy going, so this year we took inspiration from the view outside my office window:

The result: the classic French dish, Canard à l'orange (duck with oranges).

One of the most important things about this recipe is the addition of liqueurs to the sauce. You will also need a couple of match sticks.

Traditional liqueurs include Cointreau and Grand Marnier, but there are others. Make very sure you get the right one:

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Cointreau?

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Try the liqueur before committing to it. One sip is not enough to give you a feeling for what it's going to taste like in the sauce. Err on the side of plenty.

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Note how the Cointreau no longer seems to be quite right. Maybe Kirsch?

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As with the Cointreau, make sure you really have the right drink before committing it to your sauce. It's a good plan to have a few spare bottles in case you run out.

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Chop the orange peel with a sharp knife, making sure to take the pith out of the oranges.

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A word of warning: this dish makes knives sharper!

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Some people consider it a good idea to baste the duck with liqueur as it roasts. Be generous: the duck will thank you.

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Finally! The duck is in the best of form.

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If you have any liqueur left over, it will go well with the duck at the table.

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Canard à l'orange is a filling dish. You may not be very hungry the following morning, but you should treat yourself to a cup or two of black coffee. You'll also find that the matches will come in handy to improve your vision.

There are a few more photos that didn't make it to this page. Here is the complete set of photos.

And the recipe?

Oh, were you looking for the recipe for canard à l'orange? It's here.