Duck Roast with Apple and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 duck (2.5 kg, ready to cook)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 onions
• 1 apple
• 1 tsp marjoram (dried)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 100 g white bread
• 125 ml lukewarm milk
• 300 g flour
• 0.5 cube fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 20 g butter
• 250 ml poultry stock (from a jar)
• 4 small red apples

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the duck and pat it dry. Trim off the wing tips and roughly chop them. Rub the duck inside and out with salt and pepper.

2. 2.

   Peel and core the onions and apple, then roughly dice everything. Mix in the herbs. Distribute the filling into the duck and secure with wooden skewers. Place the duck breast-side down in a roasting pan, pour about 500 ml water over it, and roast in the oven for about 2 hours until golden brown; flip the duck after 1 hour and baste it several times with the stock.

3. 3.

   For the dumplings, cube the white bread into small pieces and toast them in a dry skillet until golden brown.

4. 4.

   Whisk the yeast into the milk. In a bowl combine flour, egg, yolk, and milk, then add the yeast mixture and knead into a smooth dough. Fold in the toasted bread cubes. Let the dough rise, covered, for 45 minutes in a warm place.

5. 5.

   Bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a pot. Shape the dumpling dough into about four logs roughly 4 cm in diameter, wrap each in foil, and drop them into the boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 35–40 minutes.

6. 6.

   Remove the duck from the pan and split it lengthwise, removing the filling. Cut the halves crosswise again and keep warm in a 70 °C oven. Degrease the roasting stock thoroughly. In a pot, brown the duck wings in half an tablespoon of butter, deglaze with stock, add the filling and remaining stock, and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Strain the sauce through a sieve into another pot, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

7. 7.

   Wash the small red apples and slice them crosswise about 1 cm thick. Heat the remaining butter in a large pan and quickly brown the apple slices on both sides; keep warm.

8. 8.

   Just before serving, turn on the oven grill. Grill the duck pieces skin-side up until crisp. Slice the dumplings into thick rounds.

9. 9.

   Optionally separate the breast meat and slice it. Plate the duck with sauce, apple, and dumpling slices on warmed plates and serve.