Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (2024)

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Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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ThisGerman roast duck recipeis so easy to make for your traditional holiday dinner.With very little work, it goes into the oven and you have time to make all the trimmings. For me, that's potato dumplings (with roasted bread crouton inside) and red cabbage.

Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (4)

You'll find that the following method of how to cook duck is very tasty and very easy. Perfectly delicious intimate dinner for two!

I really don't remember Mutti cooking duck that often. Perhaps, because most ducks will only serve about 4 and our family had 5 very hungry people.That would make an expensive meal.

However, it's perfect for an intimate dinner for two. Or, if you wanted to keep up with German Christmas traditions, you could make several. Traditional for Christmas, but perfect for Easter as well.

If you have an air fryer and want to do a duck in it, then take a look at Tatiana's air fryer duck recipe.

There’s something absolutely mouth-watering about having a German meat-and-potato dinner. Get Oma's revised collection of her favorites inGerman Meat Dishes.

Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (5)

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

Oma says,

I naturally served this with potato dumplings and red cabbage, but green beans would be awesome, as well.

When you make the gravy with the pan juices that are left in the pan, remove the fat first. And, most importantly, KEEP that fat! You'll want to use it to fry potatoes. So good! In fact, that duck fat is called "liquid gold"!

Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (6)

I was surprised how easy it was to make duck this way. I know I've seen it done various ways to remove some of the fat by poking the skin with a fork either before or during the roasting time.

However, cooking it in the method below, the duck was very moist and not fatty at all. There was a fair amount of fat in the roasting dish which I saved for other uses.

The only thing that is really needful is knowing that a duck doesn't usually have too much meat. The duck (4 pound) shown above served 3 of us with some leftovers.

Ready to make this roast duck recipe?

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Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (8)

Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma'straditionelle gebratene Ente

This German roast duck recipe, akaEntenbraten, is so easy to make for your traditional holiday dinner. With very little work, it goes into the oven and you have time to make all the trimmings. For me, that's potato dumplings (with roasted bread crouton inside) and red cabbage.

Prep Time

30 minutes

Roast Time

2.5 hours

Total Time

3 hours

Servings:

Makes 3 - 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 duck (about 4 pounds)
  • 1 large apple, quartered
  • 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 4 large carrots, cut into chunks
  • 2 medium onions, quartered
  • salt and pepper or seasoning salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Rinse duck under running water. Remove any innards. Pat dry with paper toweling.
  3. Season duck, inside and out with salt and pepper or seasoning salt.
  4. Stuff apple into duck's cavity. Either sew shut with kitchen twine or use skewers to close cavity.
  5. Place duck with the breast side down into shallow roasting pan. Scatter the celery, carrots, and onions around the duck. Add about 1 inch of water.
  6. Roast in preheated oven for 1 hours. Turn duck over so the breast side is up and continue roasting for 1½ to 2 hours or until internal temp reaches 180°F and leg joint moves freely. About ½ hour before it is finished, baste with pan juices.
  7. If you want the skin crispier, increase the oven to 400°F, put the duck onto a new roasting pan and roast it for another 10 minutes or so.
  8. Remove from oven. Tent loosely with foil and let sit about 10 minutes before serving.
  9. To make the gravy, strain the pan juices into a bowl. Skim the fat off with a spoon (keep the fat for other purposes such as frying potatoes!) and return some the pan juices to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom with a spatula. Pour all the pan juices into a saucepan, heat to a simmer. Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch with a bit of cold water. Stir in just enough into the simmering pan juices to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
  10. Cut duck into 4 pieces and serve with the gravy.

* * * * *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

11.06.2021 revision update

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Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (21)

Roast Duck Recipe made Just like Oma



By Oma Gerhild Fulson


Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (22)


This German roast duck recipe is so easy to make for your traditional holiday dinner. With very little work, it goes into the oven and you have time to make all the trimmings.


Ingredients: duck,apple,celery,onion,carrots,cornstarch,seasonings,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

WORDS TO THE WISE

"If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding."

Proverbs 15:32 (NLT)

Top of Roast Duck Recipe

Traditional Roast Duck Recipe – Oma's traditionelle gebratene Ente (2024)

FAQs

What is the best temperature to cook duck? ›

For the perfect roasted duck Ina Garten recommends boiling the whole bird in a broth of your choice for 45 minutes. This will help cook the bird evenly, then pat dry and move to a 500°F (260°C) oven to crisp up that skin and until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 135–140°F (57–60°C).

Why do you boil duck before roasting? ›

The boiling water helps pull the skin taut, making it easier to score in a crosshatch pattern. That, in turn, allows the fat to render out as everything roasts.

Is Chinese roast duck healthy? ›

White Pekin duck is an excellent source of essential nutrients such as vitamin E, niacin and selenium, with one serving providing more than 20 percent of a person's daily recommended intake. Duck meat is a much better source of vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamins B1 and B2.

What is the best duck for roasting? ›

Pekin Duck (or Long Island Duck)

Pekin duck meat is known for its mild, satisfying flavor that easily adapts to a number of cuisines. It has lighter flesh and milder flavor than either Moulard or Muscovy duck, and is considered perfect for whole roasting.

What is the average time to cook a duck? ›

The duck should be roasted to an internal temperature of 165 F at its thickest point of the breast and thigh. Make sure you don't contact the bone with the temperature probe. This should take around 2hrs at 375 F, but will vary per oven and per duck.

Should you cover a duck when roasting? ›

Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours. Remove the aluminium foil and continue cooking uncover for 30 to 40 minutes to make the skin crispy and brown. When the duck is fully cooked the internal temperature at the junction of the leg and thigh should be 82°C (180°F) and thighs should come apart easily.

Should you salt a duck before roasting? ›

For the tastiest Sunday roast, season your duck with Cornish Sea Salt Crystals and black pepper the night (or ideally 24 hours) before.

Should I sear a duck before roasting? ›

The journey towards perfectly roasted or baked duck breast entails commencing with a searing process. This initial step sets the foundation for achieving the ideal oven-roasted duck breast—a tantalizingly golden and crisp exterior juxtaposed with a succulent, flavorful interior.

Why do Chinese eat roast duck? ›

The bird gains even more popularity in Oriental Chinese cuisine due to its medicinal properties; the Chinese believe duck meat has the power to relieve cold, phlegm, and even disorders of the kidney. Many of the authentic Chinese restaurants in India, like Chowman, serve Duck as a special delicacy.

Is duck healthier than chicken? ›

Despite this, duck has a higher vitamin content than chicken. Duck has high amounts of iron and copper as well lower amounts of cholesterol and sodium. Duck is a slightly healthier option for this reason!

Is duck meat good for high blood pressure? ›

No significant relationship was apparent between the meat pattern and hypertension.

How long does it take to roast a whole duck? ›

Place duck on a rack in a roasting tray. The tray will collect any reduced fat which can be saved and used for roasting vegetables. Roast for 40 mins per kg, until the skin is crispy and golden. Rest for 20 mins before portioning.

What do you soak duck in before cooking? ›

Always Brine Ducks and Geese

Soaking waterfowl in a saltwater solution replaces blood with brine. The process also adds flavor and moisture. Once brined in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, the meat will be paler in color, giving it less of a livery look and more the appearance of domestic meat.

Is medium rare duck safe? ›

Eating duck that is cooked to medium rare or slightly pink is generally considered safe, and many culinary experts recommend it for the best flavor and texture: 1.

Why is duck safe to eat medium rare? ›

**Culinary Preference**: Medium-rare is often stated as the best way to cook duck breasts, as most factory-reared ducks are less likely to carry salmonella due to sanitary rearing conditions.

Why should ducks be roasted at a lower temperature? ›

(Lower heat will give you more time to render the fat from the skin before browning it too far. This is especially important for the breasts.) Place the legs and wings skin-side-down in the pan and cook until the skin is browned and crisp.

Can you cook duck to 145? ›

If the leg and thigh sections have been precooked, add them tothe pan at this time. Continue roasting the ducks until the internal temperature in the middle of the breasts is 135-145 degrees for medium-rare.

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