A classic duck dish for Christmas

A lot of the meaning of Christmas is about those unforgettable aromas, especially from the kitchen.

It is a special time to gather with family and friends around the Christmas tree, and food is a big part of the experience. There is the savoring of delicious finger foods and drinks before moving onto the hearty stuff of main meals.

For this Christmas, chefs at J.W. Marriott Hotel Jakarta share their recipes for classic Christmas dishes. The hotel's executive chef, Dieter Greigeritsch, roasts a delicious Christmas duck (commonly served in continental Europe in place of the turkey found on English and American dinner tables) with rosemary potatoes and baked apple.

Roast duck with rosemary potatoes and baked apples * 1 whole duck * 5g pepper * 20g salt * 5g oregano * 250g apples for stuffing, cubed * 80g carrots * 50g celery * 50g leek * enough chicken stock for the sauce * 250g apples for garnish * 50g sugar for caramelizing the apples * 600g potatoes * 5g rosemary * 400g assorted seasonal vegetables (carrots, broccoli) * 50g butter * 150g cranberry jam (Makes 4 servings)

1. Clean the duck and stuff it with apples, season with salt, pepper and oregano. 2. Heat the oven at 180 Celsius and roast the duck for about 2 hours; after 45 minutes, add in carrots, leek, celery and chicken stock for the sauce. 3. Meanwhile, clean the assorted vegetables, boil until soft and stir fry in butter, set aside. Clean the potatoes, cut them in wedges and season them with rosemary before roasting them in the oven until cooked for 10 minutes, set aside. 4. Remove the roast duck from the oven and pour the liquid in a sauce dish. Cut the duck into four pieces. Arrange each piece on a plate, garnish with potatoes, stir-fried vegetables and caramelized apples. Serve the roast duck and the sauce warm with cranberry jam. 5. To make the caramelized apples: Melt sugar until brown, add in raw apples and cook until the apples are well coated with the caramel.

-- Maria Endah Hulupi