Festive potted duck with pickled cabbage and vegetables

Admittedly duck is not a bird you will often see at the table of the Greek households with the exception maybe of Christmas period or Winter months in general (when the game is in its peak and mainly in Northern Greece or other mountainous regions) although, of course, the big cities people can buy such birds at the butcher's shop. It is a special bird and it needs a rather special handling in cooking. The today's recipe comes from the wider part of North Greece where the pickled cabbage is a very common delicacy in various traditional dishes. If it happens to get a duck with its feathers still on don't feel intimidated by it, although I can imagine it is not the best thing that could happen... There are some useful tips of how to get rid of them at the bottom of the recipe. I'm not sure how you do it in other countries and I must admit that I never needed to do it myself, but this is the most common way Greek housewives follow with any big birds

Recipe from "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):
1 duck (about 2-2 1/2Kg)
1 Kg of pickled cabbage leaves
1 large leek, cut in thin slices (both white and tender green part)
1 large yellow onion, cut in thin slices
2 large carrots, cut in thin slices
3-4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp of olive oil
1 glass of white dry wine
2 lemons, the juice
1 good pinch of sugar
salt
whole black peppercorns
2 glasses of water

Method:
Wash the duck well inside and outside under running water and cut it into portions (even better if you ask your butcher to do it for you in advance). Dry well with kitchen paper.

In a large and heavy-bottomed pot warm the oil in high heat and sauté the duck until browned on all sides. Transfer with a slotted spoon on a tray and keep aside.

Discard the excess fat off the pot and add in the leeks, the onion and the carrots. Sauté for 2-4 minutes, frequently stirring with a wooden spatula. Put the duck back into the pot and pour over with the wine.

Allow the alcohol to evaporate for 1 minute, then add the chopped celery and add the 2 glasses of water or enough to cover the food. Lightly season with salt, add the peppercorns, the sugar and the lemon juice.

Cover with the lid, turn the heat to low and cook for about 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes.

In the meantime, rinse the cabbage leaves with lukewarm water (at least 2-3 times) to get rid of the saltiness of the brine it was preserved in. Cut the cabbage leaves in thin strips and then add it in the pot.

Only if it is needed add a bit more water, cover with the lid and continue cooking in low heat for another 30 minutes or until the duck is cooked through and the food is left with a nice lightly thick sauce

***Note for the duck's (and other birds) plucking:
First boil plenty of water in a large pot. When it comes to the boil take the pot off the heat and dip into it the whole duck as it is.

Turn it around in the pot from all sides allowing the feathers to get well softened so to be easier to take them off without damaging the bird's skin.

Pluck the bird and discard the head and the feet. Using a small sharp knife open the bird and take the bird's giblets out.

Clean the neck of the skin pores scorching from outside on naked flame over a gas cooker or with a kitchen blowtorch. In this way you are sure that the most tiny hair or feathers of the bird are gone and the food will not be spoiled (my mother does this anyway even when she buys a chicken from the butcher or the super market). Wash the bird well inside and outside and continue with your recipe.