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Christmas time, to me, has a serene and serious meaning of remembering the joy of Christ pouring out His love to this world, whether He was actually born on the 25th of December is irrelevant ….. Christmas also has a certain childlike magic to me of fairytales and a lot of fun. In London there is a fabulous shop, one of my favourites, Fortnum & Mason at Piccadilly (very expensive, though!). It usually has spectacular window displays, so here is one I took a photo of. Granted it’s not a duck but a goose, but it will have to suffice.

Actually, in Germany, the traditional Christmas bird to roast is not a turkey but a goose. Sometimes people also use ducks, so this recipe is for a duck.

Ingredients

1 Packet of dried Stuffing mix,

1 glass of red wine (at least! You do not use any water in this recipe),

1 large orange – chopped, zest of that orange

1 small Apple,

(a small amount of chopped fresh mangoes, if you have them),

A handful of dried plums (prunes) chopped,

Ginger fresh ( ½ – 1 inch piece) finely grated,

mace spice crushed,

juniper berries crushed,

Raisins or mixed dried fruit, e.g. raisins, sultanas, orange peel, etc. – 2 Table spoons or more,

20 roasted chestnuts chopped* (check below),

1 small finely grated onion,

½ stalk of celery finely chopped,
Fresh flat-leaf parsley ( a generous amount) finely chopped,

some Thyme, Sage, Chervil, Chives and Tarragon (can be dried, but it’s better when fresh), ½ teaspoon of each: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg (all finely ground),

chopped smoked bacon or rather pancetta,

1 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar,

Season with some sea salt and black pepper to taste,

dried wild forrest fungi/mushrooms – or fresh if you have them. Soak the dried mushrooms in a small amount of warm water. Don’t throw away the soaking water, add it to the stuffing mix

1 Tablespoon of goose fat

Chopped prepared giblets *

6 high quality herbed pork sausages – skins taken off

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I prefer good quality sausages to generic sausage meat.

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Prepare the stuffing mix according to the packet (add the giblet stock – see below, half the amount of liquid recommended on the packet as you’re adding the red wine. Then add all the other ingredients mentioned above mixing it well.
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Tip: I use the double-bladed knife; we call it “Wiegemesser” in German (see-saw knife) for all the chopping, especially for the herbs. Things get chopped surprisingly fast and fine without creating a paste like texture.
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The Duck

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Wash out the duck well under running water, then marinade it in red wine and crushed juniper berries, preferably over night.
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Before cooking coat it lightly with goose fat and seasoning.

Here is my oven ready duck, stuffed with the delicious stuffing mix, topped with the dried mushooms, some more pancetta and the orange zest, plus the red wine it had marinaded in. Unfortunately my Römertopf is way too smal, so it was a right squeeze.

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Cooking in a Römertopf

Fill the cavity with the stuffing and then place it into a well-watered Römertopf (or Schlemmertopf) which is an unglazed clay pot with a lid. Food cooked in it turns out amazingly moist. If you’re using a Römertopf, please remember to soak the entire pot well in water for at least half an hour prior to cooking, so that the clay pores are nicely saturated. Do not preheat the oven using a Römertopf else it might crack.

Before you close the lid pour in red wine over the duck for liquid … No Water! Cook the duck at 220′C initially, and then turn it down to about 160′C (in a fan assisted oven). It’ll need about 1-2 hours.

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Crisp Roast:

With a small skewer, prick the fatty bits of the duck’s skin, particularly between the legs and the breast. Place the stuffed duck on the roasting rack in the tin or make a rack yourself by crumpling some kitchen foil and placing it in the bottom of the roasting tin. Season with some freshly ground black pepper and quite a lot of sea or rock salt, as this encourages crunchiness.
Add some onion wedges in the bottom of the roasting tin then place the tin on the centre shelf of the pre-heated oven and roast the duck for 30 minutes on the highest shelf. Then reduce the heat to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) and continue to roast for 2½ hours. During the cooking time, using an oven glove, drain the fat from the corner of the tin – do this about three times (the fat is brilliant for roast potatoes, so don’t throw it away).
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The Rest of the Stuffing:

Obviously there will be a lot of stuffing that won’t fit inside the duck. I’m cooking it in the oven in a casserole which is resting in a water bath, so the mix won’t dry out during the cooking process.

Temperature about 120′C and leave it there for a good 2-3 hours (top up the water when needed.

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*Prepared Giblets (and stock):

cook the giblets in about 1 pint (570 ml) chicken stock with a chopped onion and chopped parsley, 1 small carrot, halved lengthways, 1 stick celery, cut into chunks, about 6 black peppercorns. Bring to boil and then simmer everything gently without a lid for 1 hour, to reduce the liquid by about a quarter and the flavour concentrated. Strain the stock and set aside, then discard everything except the giblets.

*How to Roast Chestnuts:

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Using a small, sharp knife, cut a cross into the skin of each nut. Put in a roasting tin and bake until the skins open and the insides are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. To eat, peel away the tough outer skin and the pithy white inner skin to get to the sweet kernel.

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Confit of Apples and Prunes:

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Should you like some Confit of Apples and Prunes to go with it here’s a quick recipe: Cut 1 Granny Smith apple into quarters, remove the core, then cut the quarters into ½ inch (1 cm) slices, leaving the skin on; add a good handful of pitted prunes, 4-6 shallots, peeled and cut into wedges (cut lengthwise through the root), 10 fl oz (275 ml) strong cider, 2 fl oz (55 ml) cider vinegar, 1 level tablespoon dark brown soft sugar, 2 pinches powdered cloves, 1/8 level teaspoon powdered mace. (I preferred to crush the mace and the cloves)

Add all the ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer gently without a lid for 45 minutes to an hour till it becomes a nice sticky glaze. Make sure that you do not overstir it otherwise it will break down into a mush.

Enjoy with some Cranberrries heaped over the duck if you roasted it crispy!