Last autumn, I used the tedium of lockdown to commit to cooking some of my favourite German meals over the course of one week. This is one of them; super-easy and delicious. And, although the overall preparation time takes more than half an hour, the actual cooking bit doesn't.
Drunk Duck and Cover
This recipe for "drunk duck" with potato dumplings and a "biting" salad serves four diners but is easily scaled to your needs.
Shopping list
for the duck
1 large duck breast per diner. This recipe is better suited to your bog-standard unlucky ducky rather than a Barbary monster
About a glass of "kräuterlikör". The main issue is that it is one of the traditional German liquors prepared with a good blend of herbs. Traditionally I make this dish with Schierker Feuerstein and have more recently I have loved the results of making it with the Latvian liquor Riga Black Balsam. But, candidly, Jägermeister produces a perfect dish and it's probably safer than drinking it...
Seasoning - kräutersalz and black pepper
for the potato dumplings (kartoffelkloesse)
2 large potatoes, peeled
1 generous dollop of unsalted butter
2 cups of roughly hewn large breadcrumbs; think “mini crouton”
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup plain organic flour (NB: not self-raising)
A handful of fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)
A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
for the rest
1 small tin/bottle of preserved cranberries (yes, there is a way to prepare it from scratch, but it's rarely worth it) NB: not completely smooth cranberry jelly
1 tin/bottle of quality sauerkraut (again, we've been through the whole making your own thing) - about 70g per diner
Wild rocket - about 70g per diner
1 to 2 large white or brown onions, diced
Small mushrooms, preferably wild, about 70g per diner
Creamed horseradish
Mustard, ideally "grainy" mustard such as Dijon if you can't get your hands on some real Delikatesssenf
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Cooking method
The first part — you can actually do this the day before
Boil the peeled potatoes in a large pot with salted water on a high heat for approx. 5 mins, then simmer on a low-to-medium heat until tender; approx. 15 to 20 mins. Drain and allow to cool fully
Using clean fingers, rub the seasoning (kräutersalz and black pepper) over all of the duck breasts. Place in a shallow dish with a cover and gently pour over all the kräuterlikör. Cover and allow the duck to soak up the booze in the fridge for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
The potato dumplings (kartoffelkloesse)
Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, stirring until golden brown and crunchy, approx. 4 to 5 mins. Remove the mini croutons with a spoon and allow the grease to drain off on paper kitchen towel or in a sieve
In a large bowl, mash and season the cooked potatoes with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Gently fold in the eggs. Add the chopped parsley and chives and fold in
Add the flour gradually until it is almost fully absorbed into the dough. Don’t overmix
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Dampen your hands with water and scoop a spoonful of the dough onto your palm. Shape into a rough ball, make a light indentation in the centre, and place 2 or 3 croutons inside. Roll into a smooth ball, sealing in the croutons. Repeat with remaining dough and croutons
Using a spoon or ladle, lower dumplings into the simmering water, one at a time
Cook until they float to the top. It should only take 1 to 2 mins. Cover and simmer for approx. 20 mins on a low-to-medium heat until they start to “set”, turning the dumplings about halfway through if needed (less necessary with smaller dumplings)
The "biting" salad
Add the wild rocket to a salad bowl and add the sauerkraut. Using two forks, ensure that the wild rocket and sauerkraut are roughly mixed together in the bowl
Next, prepare the dressing, but do not dress until just before serving
Into a sealable jar or shaker add (theses quantities are for salad for roughly 4 diners) 3 heaped tspns of creamed horseradish, three heaped tspns mustard about 10 to 15ml extra virgin olive oil and the same amount of balsamic vinegar. Shake violently until the dressing is fully mixed
The last stretch
While the dumplings are simmering, melt a generous chunk of butter in a large frying pan on a high heat.
Add the diced onion and sweat. Fairly soon, add the mushrooms and sauté until both are soft and juicy. You can season it if you wish, but I usually don't
Empty the contents of the pan into a heat proof dish and keep warm
Using the same pan, add a little more butter and allow it to melt, then add the duck breasts, first ensuring that they are fully sealed with the melted butter on both sides
As the duck breasts begin to sear, pour all of the remaining booze from the marinating dish, allowing it to fully cook off until the duck breasts are done to preference
Plate or transfer all the elements to serving dishes. Dress the salad and spoon the mushrooms and onions over the dumplings. Make sure the cranberries have sufficient time to warm to room temperature before serving if they have been in the fridge
Pairings
Overall, the duck and peppery freshness of ingredients makes me favour a nice dry white. Obviously there are many German and Austrian wines that make a good match for this one and I highly recommend the value Leitz Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Kabinett that I had with the dish on this occasion.
But, there are certainly reds and rosés that would work very will with it. In the case of the latter, two that immediately springs to mind is Kloster Eberbach Spätburgunder Rosé and Etienne Simonis Caprice de Sylvaner Rosé.
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