Here's some recipes for Austrian-style Christmas duck (maybe some of the cooks can give further advice or improvements):
OVEN-ROASTED CHRISTMAS DUCK
Ingredients
1
Duck
Salt, Pepper, (Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram), crushed roasted coriander seeds if you like
0,38 Liter
Boiling water
Preparation
Work: 10 Min. / Difficulty: easy
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 390°F (upper and lower heat or top+bottom, however you say that; do not use circulating air).
Wash the prepared duck (no innards, no rump/parsons nose) and rub it dry with paper towel. Rub the spices and salt and pepper in, inside and out. If you like, you can fill the duck with (approx.. 2) halved apples and/or dried plums/prunes and some orange zest.
Put into a baking tray with the breast side down, pour the boiling water into the tray and put into the oven for approx.. 2 hours. Pour some of the juices/fat over the whole duck every 15-20 minutes. Punch the duck skin with a needle every now and then so that the fat can run out.
After 2 hours take the baking tray out of the oven, put the duck onto a cooking grate back in the oven again, place the baking tray with all the juices under it, and let it roast for another 30 minutes. Do not pour any liquids over the duck now. You want the skin to get crusty! Right at the beginning you can sprinkle a little cold water over the duck, but for the remaining time, no more liquids. 15 minutes before the end you can brush with a little honey if you like (does not necessarily have to be, as you have sweet components in your side dishes).
Cooking time: approx.. 45 Minutes per kg (if not filled) or 60 Minutes per kg if stuffed with apples etc.
You can pour the collected juices into a gravy boat (you can pour some of the fat away, it will sit on top; the good bit of the juice is the dark juice, not the fat).
Serve with red cabbage, potatoe dumplings and caramelized sweet chestnut.
Try with some cranberry marmalade, if you can find some!
Alternative cooking method: 1 hour at 220°C / 430°F, then 8-9 hours at 80°C / 175°F
POTATO DUMPLINGS
Ingredients
1 kg
Potatoes (floury if available)
80 g
Butter, melted
1
Egg
200 g
Potatoe flour / potato starch
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg
Preparation
Work: 20 Min. / Difficulty: easy
Cook the potatoes until soft. You can do that on the day before. Press them through a potatoe press or mash them with a fork or similar. Add the melted butter, 1 egg and the potato starch and mix.
Form balls between your hands (roll them), size is up to you, and let them simmer in salted water until they float on the surface.
RED CABBAGE
Ingredients
1 kg
Red cabbage
250 g
Apple, skinned
150 g
onions
150 g
butter
200 g
sugar
1/2 Liter
Red wine (dry) or 50/50 Red wine and fresh orange juice
1/4 Liter
Port wine
100 g
Red or black currant jelly; cranberry marmalade can be used as a substitute
0,2 Liter
Red wine vinegar
Spice bag: 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 5 Pimento seeds,5 juniper berries and 20 pepper corns
Salt
Preparation
Work: 45 Min. / Difficulty: normal
Cut the stalks out of the red cabbage, then cut into thin stripes with a 240-270mm wa-gyuto with Mikey handle. Dice apple(s) and onion(s) and roast in butter on low heat until soft and tender.
Caramelize 150g of sugar in a big pot. Add Red wine and orange juice (if applicable) and port wine and simmer until the sugar has melted again. Add the sliced red cabbage and vinegar and stir for some minutes. Add salt and spice bag. Add star anise and/or fresh ginger to your liking. Put the lid on and stew. Stir from time to time. Add red wine when the liquid evaporates. After 30 minutes, ad dapple-onion-butter mix and stir well. Take care the cabbage doesnt scorch!
Taste and add red wine vinegar, fruit jelly, salt, etc. to your taste. If there is too much liquid, let it stew without the lid until the liquid evaporates. When ready, the red cabbage should have a clear structure, and a nice sweet-sour balance.
CARAMELIZED SWEET CHESTNUT
Ingredients
6-8 chestnuts per person, cooked/baked and ready to eat (you can find them vacuum-packed maybe)
sugar
butter
honey
Preparation
In a heavy pan, melt the sugar and let it caramelize. Remove from heat. Add butter and chestnuts, stir well. Add a good table spoon of honey. Enjoy!