The Perfect Christmas Roast Duck

Preparation

• 1
  If the duck is frozen: Take the duck out of the freezer the evening before and let it thaw on the windowsill.
• 2
  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius top and bottom heat.
• 3
  Wash the duck and pat it dry. If the duck still has the skin flap on its neck, as well as the tail, cut both off with poultry shears. Now rub the duck with salt and let it rest for an hour.
• 4
  Peel celery, apple, carrots, and onions and cut them into coarse pieces.
• 5
  Place the vegetables, prunes, bay leaves, and the duck wings, as well as gizzard, neck, and heart on a baking tray. All these ingredients will create a wonderful sauce base. Season everything with salt and pepper.
• 6
  Stuff the duck with a handful of the vegetable mixture from the tray. If you prefer a chestnut stuffing, mix 200 grams of cooked chestnuts, 1/2 diced onion, 1/2 diced apple, 4 diced prunes with thyme, salt, and pepper, and use this to stuff the duck. If necessary, close the duck with a trussing needle. Pour 150 milliliters of vegetable broth onto the tray and place the duck breast-side up on a rack over the tray. Then cook for 90-100 minutes in the oven.
• 7
  Remove the tray with the sauce from the oven and turn off the oven. Turn the duck over once and let it rest for at least 15 minutes in the turned-off oven. As a precaution, it's best to place a casserole dish underneath so that the duck juices don't soil the oven.
• 8
  Transfer the contents of the tray to a pot and bring to a boil. Now add 150 milliliters of orange juice, 150 milliliters of red wine, and 200 milliliters of broth. Skim off any fat with a ladle. Let the sauce simmer for at least another 20 minutes.
• 9
  Switch the oven to full convection heat and bake the duck until crispy brown on both sides. Strain the sauce vigorously through a sieve. Season with a little cranberry jam or redcurrant jelly, salt, and pepper.
• 10
  Carve the duck and serve with sauce, red cabbage, and dumplings. What a feast!