Pečená Kachna se Zelím (Roast Duck with Sauerkraut and Dumplings)
Roast duck with sauerkraut and dumplings is a truly special dish, usually served in the Czech Republic for Christmas and special occasions or enjoyed as a luxury meal in restaurants.
The secret to this signature Czech dish is rather simple – it’s all in the mix of spices, the slow-roasting of the duck and the complimentary sweet-and-sour flavor of the sauerkraut.
The meat isn’t typically over-spiced. Most of its taste comes from salt pepper and caraway seeds, though it’s not uncommon to rub crushed garlic on the meat and add chopped onion to the roasting tin. It’s all a matter of taste. Just make sure to make it a proper Czech meal and serve the roast duck and sauerkraut with a side of soft dumplings.
Enjoy!
Pečená Kachna se Zelím (Roast Duck with Sauerkraut and Dumplings)
Ingredients
For the roasted duck:
- 2 kg whole duck
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
For the dumplings:
- 1/2 kg potatoes washed
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 225 g flour
- salt
For the cabbage:
- 1 kg head of cabbage red or white
- salt to taste
- 150 g sugar
- 1/4 l vinegar
- 2 tbsp duck fat
- raisins
Instructions
For the Roasted Duck:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 175 °C.
- Rinse the meat well, drain and pat dry using kitchen paper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter inside the duck and sprinkle it generously with caraway seeds, salt and pepper on the inside and outside.
- Place the duck in a roasting dish with about 1/2 inch of water and cover. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
- After the allotted time, turn the meat over, add more water if necessary, and cook for another 1 – 2 hours (depending on your oven settings and the size of the duck) until tender.
- Take the meat out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then carve it out into portions.
For the Dumplings:
- While the suck is roasting, prepare the dumplings by boiling the potatoes in a pot of salted water until very tender.
- Drain the potatoes, allow them to cool and peel the skins off. Push them through a potato ricer or mash them finely and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and combine, then add salt and flour, a little at a time, just enough to obtain a soft dough.
- Shape the dumplings into 30 cm/ 12 inches long rolls and add them to a pot of boiling water. Cook them for half an hour. You'll know the dumplings are done when they rise to the surface.
- Transfer to a separate dish and slice them into pieces (each one should be about a finger's width thick).
For the Cabbage:
- When the roast duck is done, start preparing the cabbage.
- Cut off the leaves on the outside of the cabbage head and discard them. Shred the cabbage into strips (about 1 cm thick).
- Place the cabbage in a pot along with the vinegar, the sugar and salt to taste and enough water to just about cover the cabbage. Bring to a boil and cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. After this time, carefully drain away the water, then add the duck fat from the roast, and raisins to your liking.
- Cook for another 5 minutes, until the remaining water has evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking with more salt, sugar or vinegar.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes, then drain off the water, add 2 tbsp of duck fat and the raisins, and cook over low heat for a further five minutes, until the last drops of water have evaporated.
- Season again, according to taste, with sugar, vinegar, and salt.
Serving:
- Portion out the meat along with some dumpling slices and a generous helping of cabbage. Drizzle the duck juices over the dumplings and duck and enjoy!
Notes
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