Christmas Roast Duck

A perfect roasted crispy golden duck is a perfect tasty protein for Christmas.

Ingredients

1 duck (2.2kg)

3 tbls butter (60g)

1 sliced brown onion (150g)

2 stalk celery (220g)

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

2 peeled, chopped and cored apple (400g)

1 cup chopped sultanas (160g)

½ bunch chopped parsley (15g)

½ cup toasted chopped walnuts (80g)

Method

Rinse the duck thoroughly inside and season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion, celery and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook for approx. 10 minutes until onion is soft. Allow cooling before mixing in a bowl with apple, sultanas, parsley and walnuts. Place the stuffing into the duck cavity and use skewers in the skin to close the cavity holes. Place the duck on a V shaped rack on a baking tray. Roast uncovered in a pre-heated oven 200° C on lower rack) for approx. 2 hours. When the back of the duck is browned turn duck breast side up and baste the duck several times during roasting. If you prefer nice crispy duck skin, baste the duck with beer or salty water and increase the temperature to 220° C for 10 minutes.  Remove duck from roasting pan and place in a serving dish. Serve with caramelized potatoes, red cabbage, steamed vegetables and red wine sauce.

Note: Roasting time for duck is approx. 45 minutes per kg in a 190ºC oven when it is not filled with stuffing.