Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours 1/2
Resting time: 45 minutes

A traditional Danish Christmas Eve dinner consists of roasted duck served with boiled potatoes, Danish sugar browned potatoes, Danish red cabbage, and gravy.

Hints & Tips
When you want to cook the perfect duck, choose a duck weighing at least 3 kg (7 lb). The smaller ducks are only about 6 weeks old when slaughtered, meaning they haven’t had the time to grow much meat.

Cook the duck without the convection fan since the air will dry out the duck.

1. Remove the duck from the refrigerator 20 minutes before roasting.
2. Remove the neck and giblets.
3. Pat the duck dry, inside and out, with paper towels to get crispier skin.
4. Salt the duck inside and out.
5. Preheat the oven to 160° C / 325°.

Stuffing

1. Take some duck fat from around the neck. Melt it in a skillet.
2. Sauté the chopped onion or shallot.
3. Meanwhile, peel the apples and pit the prunes. Cut into pieces.
4. Rub the duck inside and out with kosher salt. Stuff with the apples, prunes, shallots and thyme.
5. Tie the cavity closed with kitchen string.

Cooking

1. Place the vegetables, neck and giblets in a roasting pan. Add 500 ml each of water and red wine.
2. Place a rack on the pan and place the duck on this rack, breast down. Roast for 1 hour.
3. Turn the duck over and and roast another 90 minutes at the same temperature, adding a little water if necessary.
4. Turn off the oven and let the duck rest for 45 minutes.
5. When pricked at the bend of the thigh, the juices should come out clean. If not cooked, return the duck to the oven for another 10 minutes. 

Sauce and presentation

1. Strain the cooking juices and pour into a saucepan.
2. Add the flour and vinegar. Reduce to two-thirds over medium heat. Correct the seasoning as necessary with salt, pepper and a little more vinegar.
3. Carve the duck and place in a 250° C / 500° F oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin.

Serve with red cabbage, the sauce and caramelized potatoes.