Classic Danish Christmas dinner - Roast duck for Christmas Eve
Recipes for the classics of the Danish Christmas table – roast duck, homemade braised red cabbage, duck gravy, caramelised potatoes and cabbage salads.
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
Roast duck
- 1 duck, about 3.5 kg
- 250 g prunes
- 2 apples, cut into large chunks
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp coarse salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Duck gravy
- 25 g butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 600 ml roasting juices from the duck
- 50 ml whipping cream (38% fat), plus a splash more if needed
- 2 tsp redcurrant jelly
- Salt and pepper
- Gravy browning
Caramelised potatoes
- 1 kg small potatoes
- Salt
- 85 g granulated sugar
- 85 g butter
- 1-2 tbsp water
Homemade braised red cabbage
- 500 g red cabbage, finely shredded
- 150 ml redcurrant cordial, undiluted
- 50 ml distilled white vinegar
- 50 g butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground cloves - taste as you go and add a little more if needed
Fresh cabbage salad with orange and walnuts
- 1/2 red pointed cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 handfuls kale, finely chopped
- 1 orange, cut into segments
- 1/2 orange, juice of
- 1 handful walnuts, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, ideally a flavoured one
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper
- A little freshly chopped parsley
To serve
- 1 kg small potatoes, peeled
- Kale salad, for example - click here for the recipe
Instructions
Roast duck
- Take the duck out of the fridge in good time so it isn't too cold.
- Clean the duck thoroughly – remove the giblets, any remaining feathers, the outermost wing tips and so on. Also trim away excess fat around the neck and the cavity opening. Rinse it thoroughly, then pat it dry with kitchen paper.
- Rub the inside of the duck thoroughly with salt and add a little freshly ground pepper. Then stuff it with the apples, prunes and thyme. Close the cavity with a couple of metal skewers.
- Then rub the skin thoroughly with salt and add a little freshly ground pepper.
- Place the duck breast side up on a rack and put it in the middle of an oven preheated to 130°C, conventional oven (top and bottom heat). *Insert a meat thermometer into the breast so you can keep an eye on the temperature – it will need about 3 hours.
- Place a roasting tin on the shelf below and fill it with 1 litre of water. Add the duck giblets to the tin as well, and a few pieces of carrot, onion or other vegetables if you like – they add flavour to the stock.
- When the duck reaches 60°C, check the skin. If the skin is crisp, continue roasting at 130°C until it reaches 74-75°C.If the skin isn't crisp, turn the oven up to 230°C and roast until the core temperature reaches 74-75°C. Keep a constant eye on it so it doesn't get too dark – ovens vary a great deal.Alternatively, finish roasting it at 130°C and switch to the grill for the last 5-8 minutes at 220°C.
- When the duck reaches a core temperature of 74-75°C, take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes.It is then ready to carve.While the duck rests, you can make the duck gravy, boil the potatoes, make the caramelised potatoes and so on.
Homemade braised red cabbage
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the cabbage over a medium heat until it wilts, stirring as you go.
- Add the redcurrant cordial, vinegar, sugar, salt and cloves, cover and let the cabbage simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Season the cabbage to taste with salt and pepper, and serve it warm.
Duck gravy
- Strain the duck stock from the roasting tin into a bowl and skim off most of the fat.You need about 600 ml – top up with water and a little bouillon if necessary.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour – let it cook through for a couple of minutes, whisking all the while.
- Stir in the duck stock from the roasting tin a little at a time, whisking the gravy thoroughly.
- Let the gravy boil for a good 5 minutes, add the cream and then leave it over a medium heat for a further 10 minutes, stirring.
- *If the gravy becomes too thick, add more water, roasting juices or a little whipping cream – if it is too thin, thicken it with a little cornflour mixed with a little water.
- Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper, and adjust the colour with gravy browning.
Caramelised potatoes
- Wash the potatoes to remove any soil and put them in a saucepan of cold salted water.
- Bring the potatoes to the boil, then turn down to a medium heat so they don't boil too hard – cover and boil for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let them finish cooking in the hot water for about 12-15 minutes, depending on size. Test with a skewer as you go so they don't overcook, and if you like, take one out and cut it in half to check that it is cooked through but still firm with a little bite.Drain and let them cool slightly before peeling.
- Peel the potatoes, spread them out in an ovenproof dish or similar and refrigerate until they are completely cold and dry before browning.*Take them out of the fridge about 20 minutes before browning so they lose a little of the chill.
- Sprinkle the sugar over a frying pan and let it melt over a medium heat (5-6 out of 9 on my hob) – let it melt without stirring. If it melts unevenly, tilt the pan a little so the sugar spreads more evenly.
- Add the butter and 1 tbsp of water if you like, and let it bubble up. Swirl the pan so the mixture comes together, then return it to the hob, still over a medium heat. Once the butter and sugar have come together into a caramel, add the potatoes.
- Let the potatoes brown for about 15 minutes, turning them a couple of times along the way, only by tilting and swirling the pan. Avoid using a spatula or anything else to turn the potatoes if at all possible. Add a final tbsp of water if the potatoes are starting to look dry; otherwise leave it out.
Fresh cabbage salad with orange and walnuts
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper, then toss it with the shredded cabbage.
- Fold in the orange segments and garnish with the crushed walnuts and a little freshly chopped parsley if you like.
Boiled potatoes
- Put the potatoes in plenty of salted water, bring to the boil and let them boil for about 5 minutes with the lid on.If the potatoes are large, boil them for about 8-10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the potatoes finish cooking in the water for about 12-15 minutes, depending on size.Test with a skewer as you go so they don't overcook, and if you like, take one out and cut it in half to check that they are cooked through but still firm with a little bite.
Classic Danish Christmas dinner - Roast duck for Christmas Eve
- You are now ready to bring the food to the table – a very merry Christmas.