Christmas Roast Duck

Rinse duck and pat dry. Remove wingtips, chop coarsely and set aside for gravy. Rub duck inside and outside with salt and pepper.

For the stuffing, peel onions and dice coarsely. Peel and core apple and dice coarsely. Mix onions, apple, marjoram and parsley. Place mixture in duck cavity and secure closed with wooden skewers. Set duck breast-side down in a roasting pan. Pour 500 ml (approximately 2 cups) water into pan and roast duck in oven preheated to ???°C (approximately ???°F) about 1 hour, basting repeatedly. Turn duck breast-side up and roast until golden brown, about 1 more hour, basting repeatedly.

Remove duck from roasting pan and remove stuffing from duck. Keep duck warm in oven  set to 70°C (approximately 150°F). For the gravy, thoroughly skim fat from pan juices. Sauté chopped wingtips in 1/2 tablespoon butter and stir in pan juices, stuffing and chicken stock. Simmer gravy mixture 15-20 minutes, strain, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the mashed potatoes, scrub and peel potatoes and cut into small pieces. Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and immediately press through a potato ricer. Mix warm butter and cream (or milk) into potatoes until creamy, adding more liquid if necessary. Stir spinach powder into potatoes for color and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Just before serving, set oven to broil, brush duck skin with salt water and roast duck until browned and crispy, watching carefully.