Wild Duck

Ingredients

• 2 Wild ducks (750 g each)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 juniper berries
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100 ml dry vermouth
• 400 ml duck stock (glass)
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 500 g sauerkraut (fresh or canned)
• a splash white wine
• 125 g green seedless grapes
• 2 tbsp apple jelly
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the wild ducks and pat them dry. Peel the garlic and roughly chop it. Rinse the rosemary and strip the needles off. Crush the garlic, rosemary, sea salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, and olive oil in a mortar until fine. Rub this mixture generously on both sides of the ducks. Brown the ducks in a braising pot. Deglaze the fond with vermouth and pour in the duck stock. Then bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (gas: level 2-3, convection: 160°C) for 40–50 minutes.

2. 2.

   For the sauerkraut, peel and dice the onion. Heat olive oil in a pot. Sauté the onion until golden yellow. Loosen the sauerkraut with a fork and add it to the pot. Add a generous splash of water and steam covered for about 30 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes.

3. 3.

   Rinse the grapes and halve them. Mix apple jelly and grapes into the sauerkraut and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   Remove the ducks from the braising pot. Strain the sauce into a small saucepan. Whisk cornstarch with a little cold water and stir it into the sauce. Bring to a boil once. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Plate the ducks together with the sauce and sauerkraut.