Christmas cooking tips from Tino Nawrocki

Which dish should not be missing from your Christmas table?

For me, a succulent roast duck breast is an absolute must! At Platzl, we get ours from Gutshof Polting and cook it “sous vide”, i.e. vacuum-packed, slowly in a moderately hot water bath. We serve it with homemade potato dumplings and an intense duck sauce with orange. For starters, we like beef broth with boiled beef and a little parsley. If my grandma bakes cookies and the whole family gets together, it's perfect.

Not everyone is equipped for “sous vide” and roasting duck in the traditional way is not so easy for the layman.Do you have any tips for our readers on how to make the duck really tender and juicy at home?

I marinate the duck for several hours or even overnight in a mixture of oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic and various spices. This really infuses the meat with flavor. I also stuff the duck with orange, onions, rosemary and marjoram. The duck is then placed on a deep baking tray, in which I also add some stock or white wine. This provides extra moisture and helps to keep the duck juicy. I then set the temperature in the oven to 160°C to 170°C. The duck stays in the oven for about two hours, but at regular intervals I baste the surface of the duck with its own juices that collect in the tray. Finally, I increase the temperature to 210°C for a few minutes to get the skin nice and crispy. After cooking, I leave the duck to rest for five minutes before carving it - this keeps it particularly juicy.

Which vegetable side dish do you recommend with the duck?The classic red cabbage?

Instead of red cabbage, I recommend using Brussels sprouts. I boil them briefly and then fry them with bacon. Finely seasoned and garnished with a few pomegranate seeds at the end, this makes a fresh and tasty side dish that also has a festive character.

Are there any ingredients or spices that you always have on hand at Christmas time?

Yes, absolutely! My favorites include tonka bean, orange, Williams Christ pear, cinnamon, cloves, roasted almonds and mulled wine. These ingredients give the dishes a special festive flavor and make the meal an experience.

On Christmas Eve, many German households tend to keep things simple in culinary terms.Do you have a tip for a dish that is easy to prepare on 24 December in the evening or at lunchtime on New Year's Eve and can be on the table quickly?

If it has to be quick, Viennese sausages with homemade potato salad and Bautzner mustard are my favorite. It's simple but incredibly tasty and can be easily prepared during the day.

Tino, thank you so much for your time!Finally, do you have a recipe for a Christmas dessert that amateur cooks can prepare at home without too much effort?

A gingerbread crème brûlée is a great choice. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients: 375 ml cream, 125 ml milk (3.5%), 50 g muscovado sugar (or brown sugar), 4 egg yolks, the pulp of a vanilla pod and 1 tsp gingerbread spice.Preparation: Mix all the ingredients together, pour into bowls and place in the oven at 90°C for 80 minutes. Then simply flambé with cane sugar and the crème brûlée is ready to enjoy.
Try it out and show us the result on Instagram using the hashtag #pfistermuehle!