Pečená Kachna se Zelím (Czech Roast Duck with Red Cabbage)
Local name: Pečená kachna se zelím
In short: A whole duck roasted until the skin is crisp and the meat tender, served with sweet-sour braised red cabbage with apple and sliced bread dumplings. It takes about 3 h 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 3 h 10 min
- Total
- 3 h 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 640 kcal
Roast duck with cabbage and dumplings is a favorite for Sunday lunch and autumn feasts in Czech homes. The duck is rubbed with salt, caraway and marjoram and roasted slowly, then finished at high heat for crisp skin. The cabbage braises with apple, onion, vinegar and a little sugar until soft and gently sweet-sour, which cuts the richness of the duck. Serve with sliced bread dumplings to soak up the juices.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Remove the loose fat from the duck cavity and pat the duck dry. Prick the skin all over with a skewer, especially over the breast and thighs, without piercing the meat.
- Rub the duck inside and out with the salt, caraway, marjoram and pepper. Put the onion and apple in the cavity.
- Set the duck breast side down on a rack in a roasting pan and pour in the water. Roast for 1 hour.
- Turn the duck breast side up and pour the rendered fat into a jar, keeping 2 tbsp for the cabbage. Roast for 1 hour more, basting twice with the pan juices.
- Meanwhile, heat the 2 tbsp fat in a large pot and cook the sliced onion for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage, grated apples, vinegar, sugar, caraway, bay leaves, salt and water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft. Adjust the sweet and sour balance.
- Raise the oven to 220°C (425°F) and roast the duck for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the thigh reaches 82°C (180°F).
- Rest the duck for 15 minutes. Skim the fat from the pan juices, add a splash of water and boil for 3 minutes for a thin gravy.
- Carve the duck and serve with the cabbage, the gravy and sliced bread dumplings.
Tips
- Prick the skin and pour off the fat during roasting. The rendered duck fat is excellent for roasting potatoes or frying potato pancakes later in the week.
- The breast cooks faster than the legs. If the breast browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
Questions and answers
Can I use duck legs instead of a whole duck?
Yes. Use 4 duck legs, roast them skin side up at 170°C (340°F) for about 1 hour 45 minutes, then finish at 220°C (425°F) for 10 minutes.
Can I make the red cabbage ahead?
Yes, and it improves overnight. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat gently.
What do you serve with roast duck?
Czechs serve it with red or white cabbage and sliced bread dumplings or potato dumplings.
How long does it take to make Pečená Kachna se Zelím (Czech Roast Duck with Red Cabbage)?
About 3 h 40 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 3 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pečená Kachna se Zelím (Czech Roast Duck with Red Cabbage)?
About 640 kcal per serving, with 48 g of protein, 27 g of carbohydrates and 38 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 640 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 48 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Sodium | 1200 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
