Roast Duck with Baked Apples

Fort he duck: rinse duck inside and out under running water and pat dry. If necessary, remove giblets and pat dry. Cut off wing tips and neck and cut both into large pieces. Rinse and quarter apples, core and chop coarsely. Peel onions and cut into quarters. Combine apples cubes, onions and chestnuts in a bowl. Season with wormwood, marjoram, salt, pepper and orange zest and mix well.

Season duck inside and out with salt and pepper, stuff with apple and onion mixture. Secure opening with skewers and place duck into a roasting pan, breast side down. Add about 500 ml (approximately 2 cups) of water to the pan and roast duck in preheated oven at 180°C (approximately 350°F) for about 2 hours, basting duck with cooking juices often. Turn duck over after 1 hour of roasting. 

For the apples: combine cranberries with cherry juice, lemon juice and honey in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat. Rinse and core apples with an apples corer. Butter baking pan and spread cranberry sauce in it, top with apples and drizzle apples with remaining butter. About 35 minutes before the end of roasting duck, place apple pan into the oven and bake apples.

Remove duck from the oven. Strain cooking sauce through a sieve, skim all fat and set aside. 

Heat roasting pan with duck drippings (if necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of duck fat) and brown wing and neck pieces. Add broth and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Brush duck with salted water and brown under a hot broiler, watching carefully.