Roast Duck with Apples in the Oven – Holiday Recipe with Photos

Name: Roast Duck with Apples in the Oven – Holiday Recipe with Photos
Prep time: 1 h 100 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Duck (2-2.2 kg) 1; Apples (sour) 1-1.2 kg; Vegetable oil 2 tbsp; Salt, black pepper, paprika, ground coriander, granulated garlic, chili, herbes de Provence to taste

Festive duck with apples, roasted in the oven, is a wonderful holiday dish. It is easy to make, since there is no stuffing to fuss over in advance. All you need is a good, large whole duck and some sour or sweet-sour apples. After a little preparation, the bird goes into the oven for 3-4 hours. The dish is perfect for a proper family feast.

As my grandmother used to say, a duck is an easy bird that needs no looking after. The main thing is to have water nearby – they stay in it all day long. There is plenty of food there too, and when it comes to appetite, ducks are champions. Raising them for meat was never a problem. Although they often tried to join their wild relatives flying off to warmer lands.

Duck is cooked a little differently from chicken. The meat is denser and needs longer cooking. Since the birds are large, you can stuff not only a whole duck, like this duck with apples, but also separate parts. For example, duck legs stuffed with prunes and baked in the oven make a delicious individual dish. Stuffed duck neck is a signature dish in many cuisines.

Duck is great fried and roasted. French cuisine is famous for confit – the duck is slowly cooked, literally simmered in its own fat; it is especially popular in Gascony. The fat acts as a preservative, so the meat keeps for a long time – just as homemade sausage keeps under a layer of lard. Whole birds are usually cooked in a duck roaster, a special type of cookware. We use one when we make roast duck with rice – it is very convenient.

For a holiday table, it is better to buy a duck that is not too fatty, weighing 2-2.2 kg. That is enough for a family. A lot of fat may render out during cooking. Home-raised poultry is usually very fatty, so keep that in mind.

These days you can buy ducks that have never been frozen. That is the better option, as the meat does not lose its juices. Before cooking, singe the bird lightly over a flame to get rid of any remaining feathers. Pat the meat dry with paper towels before rubbing it with spices. And finally, this is important: be careful while cooking. The bird is heavy and the fat is hot – the duck may spatter when you turn it.

Ingredients

6-8 servings

Duck (2-2.2 kg) 1
Apples (sour) 1-1.2 kg
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
Salt, black pepper, paprika, ground coriander, granulated garlic, chili, herbes de Provence to taste

Step-by-step recipe

Make sure to clean the duck of any remaining feathers. It is also worth removing the large pieces of fat inside. If any organs are left inside – often the lungs and kidneys – remove them too. I always cut off the neck: there is not much to eat on it, and the neighborhood cats will be glad. The opening can be sewn up with a few stitches of cotton thread.
Mix the spices in a small bowl: a scant 1 tsp of rock salt, a pinch of black pepper and 0.5 tsp of sweet paprika. Add 0.5 tsp of ground coriander and a pinch of dry granulated garlic. If you like, add a little ground chili or curry powder, but this is optional – though it will make the duck with apples spicier and more fragrant. Add 1 tsp of dried herbes de Provence – the blend is sold ready-made.
Divide the spice mix into three parts. Rub the duck inside with one part and outside with another. Leave the duck for 40-45 mins to soak up the spices and salt a little. Then wipe the skin with a dry paper towel to brush off large bits of seasoning. The third part of the mix is for the apple stuffing.
Wash the duck roaster and put 6-8 small whole apples on the bottom. Sour ones are best – Renet Simirenko or Granny Smith work well. Cut the rest of the apples into large wedges. Do not peel them, but remove the seeds. Put the cut apples in a bowl. Add the rest of the spice mix and stir. Wait 5-10 mins for the salt to dissolve. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Stir and loosely stuff the duck with the apples.
Tip the remaining apple wedges into the roaster. Sew up the duck with thread, not too tightly – the main thing is that the apple pieces do not fall out. Brush the duck with a little vegetable oil. Tie the legs together with thread and tie the wings to the body. Place the duck in the roaster on top of the apples.
Put the roaster in an oven preheated to 200°C. Usually a duck roasts in 1.5-2 hours, and that is enough. But for the meat to become tender and juicy and start falling off the bone, it needs more time. My duck roasted for about 3 hours. Carefully turn the bird from time to time so it roasts evenly.
It is very important that the skin does not start to burn. Turn the duck every 20-30 mins. That way the duck with apples will cook evenly and soak up the juices. The fat will render out of the duck and drip into the roaster. Transfer the cooked duck to a large plate. Cut the threads holding the legs and wings. You will need a large platter that fits the whole bird.
Use a slotted spoon to lift the large apple wedges out of the roaster and lay them on the platter. Place the duck on top. Cut the duck into pieces with a knife and kitchen shears. Make sure all the apple stuffing stays inside and the pieces keep the shape of the whole bird. Serve it like this at the holiday table while it is hot.
Duck with apples is the centerpiece of a holiday table. Along with lightly salted trout, it is a must on the New Year's table.