Roast Duckling with Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage

By Lv2Cook

Ingredients

• 4 pounds cleaned domestic duckling (fresh or frozen and thawed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 cups rock salt
• 12 chestnuts or bottled peeled chestnuts
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup chopped peeled Golden Delicious apple
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries crushed

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450º. Remove giblets and neck from duckling; reserve for another use. Rinse duckling under cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, and gently pushing hand between skin and meat.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, coriander, and allspice. Sprinkle spice mixture under loosened skin. Tie ends of legs together with cord. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under duckling.

Spread rock salt evenly in bottom of a shallow roasting pan. Place duckling, breast side up, on rock salt. Pierce skin several times with a meat fork. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 450º for 50 minutes or until thermometer reaches 180º. Cover duckling loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin before serving.

Prepare cabbage mixture while duckling roasts. Soak chestnuts in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Drain. Cut a slit in the shell on the rounded side of the chestnut. (Make sure slit goes the whole way through shell. If not, they will explode.) Arrange chestnuts in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave at high 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; peel. Chop chestnuts; set aside.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add cabbage, apple, sugar, vinegar, and bay leaf; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in chestnuts, broth, juniper berries, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Serve with duckling.

Serving Size: 3 ounces duckling and 3/4 cup cabbage mixture