Czech sauerkraut with duck

For ➍

2 duck legs *

oil for frying

500 g sauerkraut, drained

1 onion, chopped

100 g bacon cubes

1 tbs (apple) vinegar

1 ts caraway seeds or cumin

little sugar **

Heat the oven to 200˚C.  

Put some oil in an oven-safe frying pan. Fry the duck legs all around for a while and then put in the oven. Depending on the size of the duck legs 1 to 2 h, for small legs 1 h. * 

Heat a large frying pan without oil and fry the bacon. Fry the onion in the bacon fat and add the caraway seeds or cumin. Add the sauerkraut to the onion and bacon, along with a little sugar **, vinegar and a very thin layer of water. It should be just below. Put a lid on the pan, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 45 m.

Serve the baked sauerkraut with the duck legs *. Also delicious with baked potatoes.

* Or use pre-cooked duck legs. Fry them in the pan with some duck fat

** Optional.

Duck breast fillets with spinach & lacquered sauce with ginger

For ➍
2.2 dl fresh brown veal stock
2 tbs soy sauce
4 shredded ginger balls in syrup
2 large duck breast fillets
900 g spinach
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
4 tbs roasted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the veal stock, the soy sauce, the ginger syrup and the shredded ginger balls in a saucepan. Reduce to half over low heat.
Finely chop the shallots, rinse the spinach, peel and press the cloves of garlic. Coarsely chop the peanuts. Keep apart.
Make diamond-shaped notches in the skin of the duck breast fillets with a sharp knife. Bake the skin side golden brown on a high heat, in a frying pan without fat, and then the other side*. Slide the duck breast fillets into the oven for another 25 m to continue cooking**. Turn the fillets over, place them on a cutting board, cover them with aluminum foil and let them rest for 5 m.
Pour 4 tbs of the released cooking fat into a sauté pan. Add the spinach, shallots and garlic. Shrink the spinach over a medium heat. Season with pepper and salt.
Slice the duck breast fillets. Serve with the spinach and the sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts and add pommes of dauphine or potato quenelles.

*Avoid splashing and pour the released cooking fat into a bowl before frying the other side of the duck breast fillets until golden brown.
**Or continue to bake in the pan until done.

Duck's delight

For ➋
3 tbs peanut oil
2 duck chest fillets with skin, 150 g each
200 g green beans
300 g broccoli
1 Spanish pepper
½ clove of garlic
40 g cashew nuts
3 tbs light Japanese oyster sauce
3 tbs sesame oil
5 tbs dry white wine or sake*
salt & black pepper
3 ts thickener(**)
2 sprigs coriander

Heat peanut oil in wok. Braise chests with skin down for 4 m. Turn and bake for another 3 m.

Slice the chests thinly and put aside.

Clean and cut beans, broccoli and pepper.

Squeeze garlic over bowl.

Add oyster sauce, nuts, sesame oil, white wine* and sliced chests.

Add salt and black pepper.

Shred coriander.

Mix thickener with 1 tbs water.**

Heat 2 tbs of formerly used oil.

Add mixture and wok for 5 m.

Add thickener and cook for another m.**

Serve and garnish with coriander.

Serve with white rice, cucumber and green tea. Dry white wine optional.

*Optional.
**Optional. Cook for 1 additional m when not used.

tip: cooking meat in the oven

Red meat:
beef, deer / doe, lamb, duck, stag

Preheat oven to 200° C, 20 m per 500 g.

White meat:

pork, veal, young boar

Preheat oven to 220° C, 20/25 m per 500 g.

Other meat:

poultry, chicken, turkey, guinea fowl, pheasant

Preheat oven to 240° C, 20 m per 500 g, reduce heat to 180° C, 20 more m per 500 g.

The meat is done when the liquid out of the thighs turns colourless.

All meat must rest for at least 20 m in aluminum foil before serving.

Don't put meat, straight from the refrigerator, in the oven. It will make the temperature drop.

Most meat benefits from basting, but opening the oven will affect cooking time.
Skewers:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook for 15-20 m, depending on the thickness of the chunks.

Read more tips. Read tip on grilling and braising meat in the oven. Read more meat and fowl recipes. Read more on roasting meat. Read general cooking times for meat, in & out of the oven.