It’s an easy dish best made when you’re not pressed for time. I make it easier by using luv-a-duck precooked Marylands, often bought for half the usual price at Woollies ($7 for a 500g pack of 2 pieces). I soak it for a while in some white wine with a few additions – see below.
Process
It’s an easy dish but fairly time-consuming. The potatoes are the most fiddly; deep frying them would be a lot quicker. Anyhow, it’s done in a few easy steps. Once the potatoes are in the oven, you can get the red cabbage going. While it is cooking, you can make the simple marinade for the duck. 15 minutes from the finish line, you put the duck and the cabbage in the oven while you fry the potatoes.
- Potatoes
They take the longest, about 90 minutes all up.
- Cut them into big chunks and boil them for 8 – 9 minutes
- Drain them and toss them in the pot with the lid on until the edges are fluffy
- Set aside and let them cool. Turn on the oven
- Spread the potatoes on a baking tray and add some duck fat or butter and olive oil
- Bake for about 45 mins at 200 degrees
- Add coarse salt, black pepper, oregano and thyme
- Fry them for 10 – 15 minutes on high heat, tossing frequently
- Red cabbage
This takes about 40 minutes
- Slice a couple of Spanish onions into narrow strips
- Cut up some of the leaves into finger-length pieces, avoid the think white bits
- Add them to a non-stick fry pan, along with butter, olive oil and balsamic reduction
- Fry on low to medium heat, stirring often, adding more lubrication as needed (yes you can add a little wines as well)
- Add seasoning, Rosemary and Thyme half way through the process
- When done, put the lot into an oven-proof dish and keep it warm
- The best time to do this is just after you’ve taken the potatoes out to fry
- The duck
Not a lot to do here since it’s already cooked. I let it sit in a simple marinade it for 30 – 45 minutes – a little white wine, some ginger, a few shallots, rosemary and thyme, seasoning, Beerenberg beetroot relish and balsamic reduction (that’s why it looks pink in the photo). Then it goes into the oven for 15 minutes.