Christmas duck with apples Recipe

Prepare the duck: Wash well, dry and cut off large pieces of fat. Rub the skin thoroughly on all sides, wash it once more, dry it and prick it with a wooden toothpick in the areas where there is a lot of subcutaneous fat (on the barks, chest and back). Sprinkle the bird with salt inside and outside and leave for 15-20 minutes. After that, prick a little on the whole body with the tip of a knife and insert a peeled garlic clove (or thin plates of garlic) into each.

Prepare the marinade: In a clean dish, place a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard and crushed various peppers. Mix well with a tablespoon until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.

Marinate the duck: Rub the resulting marinade generously on the inside and outside of the duck's body (especially under the wings and between the barks). Transfer the bird to a deep bowl, wrap in culinary cellophane and refrigerate for 40-60 minutes.

Prepare the apples: Wash some ripe, dense sweet-sour apples and dry them with a paper towel. Divide each into 2 equal parts, cut out the yolk and cut into 2-2.5 cm thick slices. Turn on the oven and preheat to 180°C.

After 40-60 minutes, take the duck out of the refrigerator and fill the belly with apple slices. Fix the opening and neck area tightly with wooden sticks or sew it out with a thick needle and baking thread so that the contents do not stick out.

From the baking bag (sleeve), cut a piece more than half the length of the duck. Place the duck stuffed with apples in it and seal it on both sides with special clamps (clips or tie with thread). Transfer the bird to a baking tray with breast upside down and place in the preheated oven on a medium rack.

Bake according to the calculation: for 1 kg of duck — from 40 minutes to 1 hour (a duck weighing 2-2.5 kg will take about 2.5-3 hours). 10-15 minutes before full readiness, make a longitudinal cut on the top of the baking bag and unfold. Once ready, turn off the oven, leave the bird inside for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a large flat plate and serve hot! Serve deliciously.