How to Prepare Czech Roast Duck

One of my treasured czech meals is bohemian style roasted duck. I usually get this meal onc a year if I am lucky. I typically have to order it at a czech restaurant or prepare it for myself while the rest of the family enjoy roast chicken or pork. Their disdain for eating duck is primarily attributed to their appreciation of these little fussy waddlers observed at the petting zoo or at the local parks swimming happily down the river. Somehow and someway, my view of duck has pushed me past the cute fuzzy image more in favor of the tasty Sunday roast that is served with homemade dumplings, sauce, and a braised cabbage dish. Just about every grocery store will carry duck in the frozen poultry section; if you can get one fresh, all the better! The bird usually weighs no more than five pounds and offers up between three to four servings. I have seen the price range for a five pound duck range anywhere between eleven to twenty bucks for a roaster; a fresh one most likely costing a bit more. I have seldom seen duck sold at larger weights. Should you desire a bigger size roast, you may want to consider goose which is prepared basically the same method, though with increased cooking times. Many Czech restaurant menus will sell roast duck alone as a combination with roast pork (Veprova). Bohemian style duck is pretty simple to prepare and goes extremely well with such accompaniments as yeast raised dumplings, sauerkraut, and sour cream dilled cucumbers. Squeezing in a cold czech pilsner with this meal is the cherry on the sundae.



Bohemian Style Roast Duck (Kachna)



1 - 5 pound duck
3 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt/Pepper
1 cup water

Method

1. Clean and rinse duck inside and outside cavity
2. Pat dry duck
3. Pierce fatty sections of duck with fork
4. Coat inside and outside of duck with combination of salt, garlic, and caraway seeds
5. Place duck breast side down on roasting pan
6. Pour cup of water into base of roasting pan
7. Place pan into 350 degree oven and roast for one hour covered
8. After first hour flip duck over, rebaste with juices and fat gathered on bottom of pan and roast for additional hour
9. Allow duck to rest ten minutes, then carve
10. Serve with dumplings and kraut or braised cabbage

Tip: For a crispier finish, consider increasing temperature to 375 for final fifteen minutes and remover cover.

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