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Sauerkraut-stuffed duck with roast apples and mulled wine gravy

Name: Sauerkraut-stuffed duck with roast apples and mulled wine gravy
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 large (about 1.8kg) whole duck; 200g sauerkraut; 4 braeburn apples; Roast potatoes and/or veg to serve; For the mulled wine gravy; Dahs vegetable oil; 1 shallot, roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 sage sprig; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 star anise; 2 cloves; 200ml red wine; Juice ½ orange; Chicken stock, if needed (optional); 15g unsalted butter; 15g plain flour; For the mulled spice rub; 1 star anise; 2 cloves; ½ cinnamon stick; ½ tsp black peppercorns; ¼ nutmeg, finely grated; 1 tsp brown sugar; Finely grated zest 1 orange; 1 tsp flaky sea salt

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 31 Oct 23
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Sauerkraut-stuffed duck with roast apples and mulled wine gravy

This festive roast duck sings with mulled wine flavours. A cinnamon, clove, star anise and nutmeg rub spices the duck’s skin and it’s served with a rich mulled wine gravy. “A bit of a Boxing Day tradition in my house, inspired by the magnificent Nigella Lawson’s Bohemian goose recipe,” says delicious. food producer Pollyanna Coupland.

Have a bash at making your own sauerkraut.

Medium
November 2023

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min, plus overnight resting. Oven time 1 hour 20 min

Have a bash at making your own sauerkraut.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories: 355kcals
Fat: 12g (4.8g saturated)
Protein: 27g
Carbohydrates: 24g (20g sugars)
Fibre: 3.1g
Salt: 2.3g

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Ingredients

1 large (about 1.8kg) whole duck
200g sauerkraut
4 braeburn apples
Roast potatoes and/or veg to serve

For the mulled wine gravy

Dahs vegetable oil
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 sage sprig
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 cloves
200ml red wine
Juice ½ orange
Chicken stock, if needed (optional)
15g unsalted butter
15g plain flour

For the mulled spice rub

1 star anise
2 cloves
½ cinnamon stick
½ tsp black peppercorns
¼ nutmeg, finely grated
1 tsp brown sugar
Finely grated zest 1 orange
1 tsp flaky sea salt

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Method

Begin by making a mulled spice rub for the duck. Grind the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and nutmeg into a fine(ish) powder using a pestle and mortar (or spice grinder if you have one). Then stir in the sugar, orange zest and salt.
Remove any packaging from the duck and – if it has them – set the giblets aside in the fridge for the gravy. Put the bird in a roasting tray and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Prick the skin all over with a pin or small sharp knife, particularly in any extra fatty areas you spot (often around the legs). This helps the fat render out while it cooks so you end up with nice crispy skin. Massage the spice rub into the skin all over the duck. Drain the sauerkraut, give it a squeeze to remove excess liquid and stuff in the cavity of the duck. For the best results, leave the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry the skin out and let the flavour of the rub sink in.
Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6 and take the duck out of the fridge. Once the oven is up to temperature, roast the duck for 40 minutes. Score the apples around their circumference, about two thirds of the way up. Add the apples to the tray next to the duck and roast everything for a further 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the bird rest for 20 minutes.

While the duck rests, make the gravy. Heat a frying pan then, then gently fry the shallot, garlic and (if using) roughly chopped giblets with a dash of oil until caramelised. Add the sage, whole spices, red wine and orange juice, bring to a simmer, then bubble until reduced by roughly half. Carefully pour the resting juices from the duck roasting tray into a jug; you want 250-300ml so if there isn’t that much, top it up with chicken stock. Skim off the layer of fat at the top, then pour the into the wine mixture and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, back into the jug. Return the frying pan to the heat, add the butter then, once melted, add the flour. Stir to create a roux, then slowly add the sauce, whisking, to create a silky gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the duck, potatoes, gravy and your chosen veg at the table, or carve and plate up, making sure everyone gets an apple and some sauerkraut.