Roast duck with apples and prunes (Andesteg)

1. Clean the duck inside and out, pat dry with kitchen paper and rub it well inside and out with salt and pepper.

2. Core and quarter the apples, mix them with the prunes and thyme, stuff the cavity of the duck and close the opening with cocktail sticks.

3. Place the duck breast side up on a rack with a tin underneath containing the water, and roast in an oven preheated to 160 °C for about 2 hours, basting the breast with its own juices halfway through.

4. For the last 15 minutes turn the oven up to 220 °C so that the skin crisps up.

5. Strain the juices left in the tin, skim off the fat, mix the flour with a little cold water, stir it into the juices and simmer with the cream for 5 minutes.

6. Rest the duck for 10 minutes, carve it and serve with the stuffing, the gravy, caramelised potatoes and braised red cabbage.

Tip: In Denmark many families serve roast duck stuffed with apples and prunes on Christmas Eve. The fruit not only flavours the meat but also gives the gravy a pleasant, slightly sweet depth. Keep the duck fat that drips off: potatoes roasted in it are especially tasty.