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1
Preheat the oven to 375F.
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2
Prick the duck all over with a fork, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and put it in a large, deep ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven that can later be covered.
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3
Roast the duck, checking occasionally to make sure it is browning steadily, for about 1 1/2 hours.
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4
(If the duck is barely browning, increase the heat by 50 degrees; if it seems to be browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly.)
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5
At that point it will be nicely browned and will have rendered a great deal of fat; pour off all but a few tablespoons of the fat and transfer the pan to the top of the stove.
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6
Dont worry if the duck does not appear to be fully cooked.
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7
Scatter the sauerkraut around the duck, then sprinkle it with paprika, moisten it with the wine, and tuck the bay leaves in there.
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8
Turn the heat to low and cover.
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9
Simmer for about 15 minutes, then stir and put some of the sauerkraut on top of the duck.
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10
Cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the duck is quite tender.
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11
Carve and serve.
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12
As everyone knows from sad experience, a single duck provides skimpy servings for four people.
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13
You can make up for this with side dishes, but there are other solutions as well:
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14
Braise a piece of slab bacon and/or smoked or fresh pork along with the duck, after adding the sauerkraut; youll have to increase the cooking time a bit.
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15
Peel and cut up some potatoes (or carrots, parsnips, or turnips) and cook them along with the duck and sauerkraut.
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16
Finally, you can simply cook more duckstart with 2 ducks or use a couple of duck legs or, best of all, sear a duck breast and serve the slices separately.
