Crispy Farmer's Duck (Knusprige Bauernente)

This recipe for a crispy duck is a true classic. It's based on the Bavarian variant where they call it "Bauernantn" from our most beloved Wirtshaus just on the outskirts of Munich. The duck is usually served with potato dumplings and red cabbage.

Takes about 180min | Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

For the duck:

1 duck (approximately 1.5kg)
1 onion
1 apple (not too sweet, e.g. Granny Smith)
1 organic orange
2 tsp of marjoram
4 sprigs of parsley
Salt Freshly
Ground black pepper

For the Sauce:

2 onions
1 carrot
1 piece of celeriac (approximately 150 g)
200 ml robust red wine (e.g. Merlot)
100 ml red port wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.2 litres of stock
(ideally duck stock but a mix of vegetable and beef works as well)
3 sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp of marjoram
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

LET’S START COOKING,
SHALL WE?

Preheat the oven to 120°C (convection, 140°C top and bottom heat). If necessary, remove the innards from the duck's abdominal cavity. Wash the ducks inside and out and pat dry with kitchen paper.
For the filling, peel the onion and dice it roughly. Wash the apple, quarter them, remove the cores, and dice them roughly. Wash the orange in hot water and also dice it roughly. Rinse the parsley, shake it dry, and roughly chop it together with the stems. Put everything together with the marjoram in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Season the duck inside with salt and pepper, and only salt the outside. Distribute the filling in the abdominal cavities and close the openings with wooden skewers or twine and needle. Place the duck with the breast side down in a deep baking dish and add ¾ litre of hot water. Roast the ducks in the oven (middle rack) for about 1 hour, pouring the pan juices over them frequently. Then turn the ducks, so the breasts are facing up, and roast for another 1 hour and 45 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Peel the onions, carrot, and celeriac, and dice them into approximately 1 cm pieces. Mix the red wine and port wine together. Heat the oil in a wide pot and sauté the vegetables and onions for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and roast everything for another 3 minutes. Deglaze with a splash of wine and let it reduce. Repeat this process twice. Then add the remaining wine and the stock, rinse the thyme and add it to the pot. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it simmer gently for 2 hours over low heat.
Remove the duck from the oven and switch on the grill function of the oven (highest setting). Pour off the fat from the baking dish. Halve the ducks lengthwise and remove the fillings. Place the duck halves with the skin side up on the baking sheet. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 4 tablespoons of hot water, brush the skin with the saltwater. Place in the oven (middle rack) and roast for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy, brushing occasionally with the saltwater.
Meanwhile, strain the sauce through a fine sieve, collect it, and return it to the pot. Boil the sauce over high heat for 5 minutes. Dissolve the corn starch in 2-3 tablespoons of cold water. Gradually stir in just enough corn starch into the sauce until it thickens, then let it cook for another 3 minutes. Add the marjoram and season with salt and pepper.
Remove the crispy duck halves from the oven, arrange them on plates with the sauce, and serve. Potato dumplings and red cabbage are excellent accompaniments.