Published: · Modified: · About 4 minutes to read this article. · By Kim Nielsen
Traditional recipe for Danish roasted Christmas duck. This recipe is exactly how the danes are preparing their Christmas ducks for Christmas eve.
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How to make a Danish Roasted Christmas Duck
This recipe for the perfectly roasted duck is super delicious and it's relatively easy to make. In Denmark we eat roasted duck all year around, however, it's a very traditional dish for Christmas where it's served for dinner at Christmas eve. A traditional Danish dinner at Christmas eve consist of roasted duck or pork, served with boiled potatoes, Danish sugar browned potatoes, Danish red cabbage, gravy and for dessert the very popular Danish Risalamande which is a kind of rice pudding with whipped cream and almonds.
The Secret Ingredient for Danish Christmas Duck
This recipe for roasted Christmas duck is the one my mother has always used and still uses today. The secret in this recipe is the stuffing which gives a super delicious taste and it helps to keep the duck nice and juicy. The stuffing is made from lightly fried apples, onion, prunes, thyme twigs, salt and pepper. Another important thing to remember, when you want to cook the perfect duck, is to pick a duck which weights at least 3 kg (7 lb). The smaller ducks have only been living for about 6 weeks before they are slaughtered which means that they haven't had the time to grow much meat. A 3 kg (7 lb) duck, which is perfect for about 4 people, has been living for about 8-14 weeks before it's slaughtered.
Cooking Time for Danish Duck
We normally calculate 35 minutes of cooking time per 500 g (30 min. per pound) at 150 C (300 F). This time frame is only for guidance, another way of checking if the duck is done is to check the legs of the duck, they should be loose and able to be pull off. When cooking the duck try avoid using the ovens function where the air is circulated, this will dry out the duck. When the duck is done cut it out using a knife. If you are using a meat shear you risk to hit a bone and get bone pieces in the meat.
If you are looking for other traditional Danish Christmas recipes you can find some at our Christmas archive.
Danish Roasted Christmas Duck
Traditional recipe for Danish roasted Christmas duck. This recipe is exactly how the danes are preparing their Christmas ducks for Christmas eve.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 4 hours hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: Christmas dinner
Servings: 4 people
Author: NordicFoodLiving.com
Ingredients
- 1 duck (minimum 3 kg/7 lb)
- 2 apples
- 1 onion
- 15 prunes
- thyme twigs (or dryed)
- salt and pepper
- 1 liter water (1/4 gal)
Instructions
Remove the giblets and clean the in- and outside of the duck thoroughly. Put the giblets in a large oven tray.
Cut off some of the fat/skin at the neck and end of the duck. Put the fat/skin in a large frying pan together with two diced apples, onions and prunes. Add salt, pepper and some dried thyme or a couple of fresh thyme twigs to the pan. Fry it all for a couple of minutes at medium heat.
Rub the duck thoroughly with kosher salt, both inside and outside.
Use a spoon to stuff the duck with the fried apples, onion and prunes but leave out the fat/skin. Close the end/opening of the duck using food metal needles or thread so that the stuffing don't fall out.
Cut off the tip of the wings - they only tend to get burned anyway.
In the oven tray with the giblets, put the tip of the wings and pour over 1 liter (1/4 gal) of water. This water can later be used to make gravy.
Place the duck on an oven grid with the back upwards. Place the grid, with the duck, at the middle position in the oven and place the oven tray, with the giblets, underneath so that the fat from the duck can drip down into the tray.
Cook the duck at 150 C (300 F) for about 35 minutes per half kg (30 min. per pound) - therefore, a 3 kg/7 lb duck should cook for about 3.5 hours. Cook the duck without using circulating air this will dry out the duck. When half the time is up turn over the duck so that the breast is upwards. Sprinkle the breast with plenty of salt. It's the salt that makes the skin crisp.
Cook the duck until it's done. A good indication that the duck is done is when the legs are loose and can be pulled of easily.
If you want the skin of the duck more crisp use the grill function in the oven - just remember to keep an eye on the duck, so that you don't burn the skin.
Reader Interactions
Comments
bjarnfríður hlöðvesdóttir
I wish you have a gravy recipe with this duck, any idea for it ?
Reply
Louise Dam
I actually haven't written a recipe for gravy. But if you remove most of the fat from the 'sauce' in the pan then put it in a saucepan, warm it up and add some heavy cream. Add some brown color to the sauce and add salt to taste.
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Valerie Gaarde
Hi Louise, your recipe says dates, but don't you mean prunes (svesker)?
I lived in Denmark for 8 years, my husband is Danish. We're living in the US now but I still make roasted duck for Christmas Eve each year. The recipe I learned from my Danish mother in law is with prunes and apples inside the duck so I was wondering if you meant prunes and not dates (daddler).
Denmark has wonderful food traditions. Thank you for sharing yours on your blog!Reply
Louise Dam
Hi Valerie
Of course I meant prunes and not dates ;-) It is now edited in the recipe. Thank you for the tip.Reply
Michelle Halford
Looking forward to making this for my husband who spent much time in Denmark as a boy.. Recipes seem very easy. The rice pudding will be an extra treat. My husband will have to make the potatoes though as I have never managed to get them right.
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Kim Nielsen
Hi Michelle. Thanks for your comment. I hope you that you will like the duck and the rice pudding. The potatoes are actually not that difficult to make once you tried it a couple of times.
Reply
Mark K
the main thing about caramelized potatoes (I assume those are what you mean) is to make sure they're completely cooled before caramelized, or the browning will slide right off instead of adhering.
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S. Charlton
Hello, I have been tasked to prepare 'the duck' for a Danish Christmas dinner this 24th! I have gone through the menu thoroughly and quite excited to do it for the first time. A bit stressed as I could only find a 2 kg. realising my disadvantage, what else can I do to get the picture perfect duck like yours? Thank you.
Reply
Kim Nielsen
Hi. Don't be stressed - it is actually not that difficult to prepare a Danish Christmas duck. Is it mainly about the stuffing and the side dishes. A little trick to get the picture perfect duck is to use the 'grill' function in oven for the last 10-15 minutes. Just remember to keep an eye at the duck so you don't risk burning it.
Reply
S. Charlton
Thank you. That is quite comforting to know. The first attempt is always daunting but I'll do the last 10-15 min on grill. I will post photo if I could once succeed!
Reply
Laura
Hello! What oven function should I use to Cook the duck? It says not to use the circulating one, but not which is recommended to use... Thanks =)
Reply
Kim Nielsen
Hi. I normally just use the function which is heating from both the top and bottom. I hope this answers your question :-)
Reply
Tommy Jensen
Why is this not printer friendly like your flaeskestig
Reply
Kim Nielsen
That is a good question. The print-friendly recipes is something that I have to manually implement on my site. It's a big job and I'm slowly working through all my recipes. :-)
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AlanJ
Hello,
Do you score or prick the duck breast skin to release the fat like many other recipes?
I am roasting a duck tomorrow using this recipe, i have a 6lb duck and plan to oven roast this for 3 hours, does that seem right?;-)
Reply
Kim Nielsen
Hello. I don't score or prick the skin of the duct. The important thing is to use plenty of salt and rub it into he skin. It sounds about right - a duck of about 6 lb should have about 3 hours. Regards Kim (NordicFoodLivng.com)
Reply
AlanJ
Kim. Thank you so much. It came out perfectly. I strained the duck fat with a tea filter and used it to make roasted potatoes and also Yorkshire puddings in the next few of weeks.
I recall many of your recipes from the meals my mormor prepared during our visits to Horsens! Congratulations on a well presented and maintained website😊
Reply
Kim Nielsen
Thanks for your nice comment. I am happy that you like my site and can use some of the recipes. I am trying to keep my recipes as traditional as possible so I am sure you can recognize some of your mormos recipes in mine :-) Regards Kim (NordicFoodLinvg.com)
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Leif Roll
Hi, my wife just shared your website with me. I love it!! I've been doing Danish Christmas Dinners my entire life, following many of the same recipes you've provided with one pretty significant exception. Growing up we always roasted a goose for Christmas, not a duck....and I've continued this tradition with my family. The big question: which bird is traditionally served for the Danish Christmas Dinner....goose or duck? Thanks!!
Reply
Kim Nielsen
For the Danish Christmas 99% of the time is served duck :-)
Reply
NG
Hello! I am excited to prepare your recipe for a julefrokost this weekend! I have two ducks of 5 lbs each. Do you think I need to make any adjustments if I’m cooking them at the same time in a large pan? Thank you!
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