Poultry in general, and duck in particular, is a delicacy when cooked properly.

 

Even before roasting in the oven, there are a few things you should bear in mind if you want to conjure up a succulent roast that melts in your mouth.

The biggest danger with poultry is that the meat dries out, as the cooking times have to be quite long due to the size of the animals. The temperature and cooking time specifications in the recipes must therefore be followed exactly and the oven manufacturer's instructions should also be observed, especially for fan ovens.

To prepare a roast duck, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 duck, 2-2.5 kg
• 4 onions
• 1 tart apple
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh herbs in sprigs: 2 x each thyme, rosemary and sage
• 2 small carrots
• 125 g celeriac, diced
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 150 ml dry red wine
• 250 ml chicken stock
• some apple juice and approx. 3 tablespoons of apple sauce
• Sauce thickener

Preparation

The raw duck is prepared by first cutting out the sebaceous gland, which is located on the tail, as well as excess fat on other parts of the body.

The animal is washed well and patted dry.

Firstly, the duck is salted and peppered on the inside and outside. Half of the onions and the apple are used as stuffing for the duck, as are the sprigs of herbs. Roughly chop the onion and apple and place inside the duck together with the sprigs of herbs.

To prevent the wings and legs from drying out too much, tuck the wing tips under the body, attach the legs to the body and tie them together with kitchen twine.

The remaining onions, carrots and celery are garnishes that are roasted in the oven with the duck and later add flavour to the sauce. Firstly, dice the vegetables and fry until golden brown. After a few minutes, deglaze with the red wine and leave the vegetables to simmer for a while longer.

Now place the duck breast-side down in a roasting tin and add the vegetables and stock. The roast duck must now be roasted on the bottom shelf of the oven at 210ºC for approx. 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 180ºC and cook the roast duck for a further hour. Baste it with gravy from time to time. Different temperatures and cooking times apply to fan ovens, which you should refer to the manufacturer's instructions for your appliance.

Preparation of the sauce

After cooking, remove the duck from the roasting tin and leave to rest in the switched-off oven. Separate the gravy from the vegetables to make the sauce. To do this, pour everything through a sieve and collect the stock in a pot.

Leave this broth to rest for a while until the fat separates on the surface. If a very thick layer forms, you can skim off the fat with a spoon so that the sauce is also less greasy later.

Now add the apple juice and stir the apple sauce into the sauce. Bring everything to the boil briefly and stir in the sauce thickener with a little cold water. There are also products that can be sprinkled directly into the sauce, follow the instructions on the packet.

Finally, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

The roast duck is ready, but now you need to carve it, preferably with poultry shears.