Brandenburg Farmer's Oven Roast Duck with Cabbage and Little Potato Pancakes
German cooking is uncharted territory for her. But on her 29th birthday she got to prepare a special regional meal with top Berlin chef, Herbert Beltle. Voted Chef of the Year 2005, he owns the "Altes Zollhaus" restaurant and this dish is one of his specialties.
Ingredients:
1 fresh Brandenburg duck (around 2 kilograms)
1 apple and 1 onion, mugwort and marjoram
100 g roasting vegetables (carrots, celery, onions), diced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
0.5 l red wine
400 g potatoes, 1 egg, flour, nutmeg, salt
¼ cabbage, blanched and cut into strips
0.2 liter heavy cream
diced onion and bacon
Preparation:
Brandenburg Duck
Stuff the duck with the apple and half an onion and season with salt and marjoram. Place the duck in a large pan or casserole, pour a little water over it and cook it in the oven with a fan for 1 ½ hours at 160°C (180-200°C in an oven without a fan), basting occasionally. Prick with a fork to test for doneness; the duck is finished when the juices run clear. Let the duck cool slightly, and carve out the breast and legs.
Put the pieces of meat in a casserole or cocotte. Pour water into it until the meat, but not the skin is covered. Put the casserole back in the oven heated to 220°C (180-200°C with a fan). This makes the skin crisp, but keeps the meat tender.
Chop up the bones and fry in a pan with the roasting vegetables and tomato paste. Add red wine and reduce. Add water and allow to simmer for an hour. Strain and reduce, season to taste.
Berlin Potato Pancakes
Grate the peeled potatoes with half an onion, mix with the egg and some flour and season with salt and nutmeg. Form into small pancakes and fry in hot duck fat until they are golden-brown.
Cabbage (white or Savoy)
Sauté the onions and bacon in hot duck fat. Add the cabbage and quench with a little heavy cream. Reduce somewhat. Season with salt and nutmeg.
To serve:
Place the duck meat on a pool of sauce, surrounded by the cabbage and potato pancakes. Guten Appetit!