DUCK WITH SAUERKRAUT | Patka sa kiselim kupusom

I love duck. Duck done in a Penang curry, Peking duck, roasted duck, duck risotto. I love it! Well, this is another duck recipe from the Dalmatia cookbook by Ino Kuvacic that you can add to your duck repertoire. If you don’t like duck, definitely try this one because it’s really simple and straight forward.

If you don’t want to buy a whole duck, then I recommend just buying the duck breasts and making the recipe with those. A duck breast per person with the sauerkraut is the perfect amount of food. And I have to admit a lot easier than cutting up a whole duck as I did. Next time I will make this recipe with just the breasts because it’s just so much easier.

The cinnamon and nutmeg make this more of a wintery feeling recipe but really you can serve this any time of year when you’re hankering for something hearty and delicious, and it’s a nice departure from a regular roast chicken. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients:

~ One kilo duck (with bones), cut into 8 cm pieces, or cook the duck whole

~ Two teaspoons paprika

~ 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

~ 50mls extra virgin olive oil

~ 100 grams pancetta, finely diced

~ Four garlic cloves, chopped

~ 500 grams of sauerkraut (I didn’t make it from scratch as per recipe, I used sauerkraut from a jar)

~ Two bay leaves

~ One cinnamon stick

~ 500mls vegetable stock

~ sea salt

~ freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Season the duck with salt, paprika and nutmeg. Heat the olive oil in an cast-iron pan or clay pot over high heat.

2. Add the duck to the pan and sear until golden brown.

3. Remove the duck from the pan and transfer to a plate. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of seconds then add the sauerkraut. Sauté on low heat for 10–15 minutes until the sauerkraut turns golden.

3. Return the duck to the dish with the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and vegetable stock. Braise on low heat (I braised), or bake in the oven at 190°C, for one hour. If needed, add more vegetable stock to loosen the mixture a little. Add freshly ground pepper if desired. Serve hot straight from the pan.

Let me know if you tried this hearty duck recipe and what you thought?

Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let’s live!)