Roasted Rosemary Duck

Ingredients

• 1 duck (ready-to-cook, about 2.5 kg)
• 2 onions
• 2 Apples
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried sweet woodruff
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 100 g dried cranberries
• 1.5 tsp peppercorns
• 0.5 l broth (vegetable or poultry)
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C with fan and top heating.

2. 2.

   Rinse the duck inside and out under running water and pat dry. Trim off the wing tips and neck, then cut both into large pieces. Peel and roughly dice the onions. Wash, quarter, core, and roughly dice the apples. Combine both in a bowl with marjoram and sweet woodruff.

3. 3.

   Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper, then stuff it with the apple-onion mixture. Tie the opening with kitchen twine or secure with a skewer, and place the duck breast-side down in a roasting pan. Pour in the cranberries, peppercorns, and about 500 ml water, and roast in the preheated oven for approximately 2 hours. Occasionally baste with the rendered fat and turn the duck after one hour.

4. 4.

   Remove the finished duck from the pot and strain the roasting liquid (if it has not yet evaporated) through a sieve, reserving the cranberries and spices. Skim off the fat with a small ladle and set aside.

5. 5.

   On the stovetop, brown the wings and neck in the pan (add 1–2 tbsp of duck fat if needed).

6. 6.

   Meanwhile, remove the stuffing from the duck and add it to the browned wings and neck. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then deglaze with broth (and the roasting liquid) and let simmer for another 20 minutes.

7. 7.

   Set the oven to grill mode.

8. 8.

   Separate the drumsticks and loosen the breast meat from the wing bones (or quarter the duck with poultry scissors). Place the skin side up on a baking tray and crisp under the grill for several minutes.

9. 9.

   Strain the sauce through a sieve, season with salt and pepper, and stir in 1–2 tbsp of duck fat if desired.

10. 10.

    In a bowl, arrange rosemary sprigs, place the duck parts on top, and sprinkle with cranberries and spices. Serve the sauce separately.