• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Markie's Kitchen
  • Recipes
  • Latest
  • About
  • Contact
  • FREE Cookbook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Latest
  • About
  • Contact
  • FREE Cookbook
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Latest
    • About
    • Contact
    • FREE Cookbook
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    • A top-down photo of a speckled bowl with creamy soup garnished with roasted mushrooms, cauliflower, pancetta and croutons.
      Mushroom and Cauliflower Soup
    • A close-up photo of a bowl with potato goulash topped with fresh parsley. The bowl is placed on a dark blue cloth and golden fork and knife.
      Potato Goulash
    • A photo of a round cake with sliced apples next to a jar of brown sugar.
      Apple Tea Cake
    • A photo of a sliced sheet-pan pizza with ham, red onion and mushrooms, with fresh basil leaves scattered on top.
      Parma Ham Pizza
    • A close up photo of a grey pot with celery and carrot soup. A golden spoon is in the top right corner, next to the pot.
      Celery and Carrot Soup
    • A photo of two goblets with chocolate mousse, decorated with a skin of orange.
      Chocolate Orange Mousse
    • A close up photo of a soft pink and grey mug with carrot soup garnished with cream, parsley and bleck pepper.
      Carrot and Leek Soup
    • A photo of two glasses on stem with creamy chocolate drink. In the background, there is a vase with pine tree twigs.
      Non-alcoholic Irish Cream (Baileys) with Chocolate
    • A plate full of gingerbread cookies
      German Gingerbread Cookies
    • A top down photo of a golden chicken and leek pie in a rectangular dish, with one portion take out. The dish is on a floral teatowel and next to a spoon.
      Chicken Ham And Leek Pie
    • A photo of a stack of bacon and cheese wraps on a slate plate, with a bowl of ketchup in the back.
      Cheese And Bacon Turnovers
    • A dark photo of three chocolate-covered apples each with different crunchy toppings. In the background, there is a tumbler with skeleton arm, and a lantern with haunted house print, and a burning candle.
      Easy Halloween Chocolate Candy Apples
    Home » Recipes » Party Food

    Celebrating St Martin's Day: Roasted duck on red cabbage

    Published: Nov 11, 2019 · Modified: May 19, 2021 · by Markie · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    Hello! Today is St Martin's Day, which is traditionally celebrated in continental Europe. It is also known as the Feast of Saint Martin. It is celebrated on November 11 every year. This day symbolises the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, as the first snow often arrives to Europe around this time. When it snows, people say 'St Martin has arrived on his white horse'. Back home we've had snow many times on this day! If there isn't any snow, we say 'Martin arrived on a brown horse' instead.

    Meanwhile in the UK, November 11 is best known as Remembrance Day or Poppy Day, the day which honors all veterans and victims of World War I (and other modern-time wars). The symbol of this day is a red poppy, which is being sold from the beginning of the month (if you haven't had the chance to get one and would like to donate, you can support war veterans here). There were many special services and walks taking place last weekend and today (on local or regional scale) to honor and remember all who have been fighting for our freedom and risked their lives for our better future. Many institutions also hold two minutes of silence at 11am.

    Now let's get back to Saint Martin and the Czech tradition.

    How do we celebrate St Martin's Day in the Czech Republic?

    Some Czech towns organise festive carnivals to celebrate this day. St Martin arrives on his horse in a parade of historical characters. People come to watch the act and celebrate enjoying traditional food and drinks.

    It is a tradition to have roasted goose or duck fon this day. Restaurants often have a special offer for this occasion, called St Martin's Menu. The main courses usually contain dishes made of goose (or duck), white and/or red cabbage and dumplings. For starters, you can try ie. goose pate on a baguette or goose bouillon.

    November 11 also is the first day when new wines of the season can officially be sold. Therefore, these young wines (white, red and rose) are called St Martins' Wines (Svatomartinské víno). Shops are allowed to sell them from 11:11am on November 11. This year the date came on a Monday, and so retailers made an exception and started to sell the young wines on Friday November 8 instead.

    Me and my mum have made St Martin's Day our little tradition, and although I am in London now, I proudly continue doing it.

    roasted-duck
    Roasted duck on red cabbage, with dumplings

    This year, I made roast duck on red cabbage with gnocchi (you can use them to save time cooking and preparing potatoes or dumplings). Here is the recipe, which my mum has given to me.

    Made this recipe? Share your picture on Instagram and tag @markieskitchencom & use the hashtag #markieskitchencom so I can see it!

    📖 The Recipe

    Roasted duck on red cabbage, served with dumplings

    Roasted duck on red cabbage

    Markie | MarkiesKitchen.com
    Easy recipe for a traditional Czech dish served on St Martin's Day and during other special occassions.
    5 from 1 vote
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Czech, European
    Servings 4
    Calories 1172 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 whole duck, or 4 duck legs, skin on
    • salt, to taste
    • 1 ½ - 2 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
    • 80 g unsalted butter
    • 1 peeled and chopped onion
    • 1 - 1,2 kg chopped red cabbage
    • 2 peeled, cored and diced medium apples
    • ½ teaspoon whole allspice
    • ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 5 teaspoon sugar
    • vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C. Boil a kettle of water.
    • Prepare the duck: Cut the duck into 4 quarters (if whole), season the portions of meat from all sides with salt and caraway. Put the duck in a casserolle dish/deep baking tray and add appx 1cm of boiling water (avoid pouring the water over the duck, just around it). Cover and put in the oven for 1 hour. After one hour, turn over the duck and pour some of the gravy over it, re-cover and bake for another 30 minutes. Then turn it over (into the original position), pour some more gravy over it and bake without a cover for final 30 minutes or until the meat is soft and the skins are golden and crispy.
    • Whilst the duck is roasting: Melt the butter in a large stock pot. Add the onion and fry it on medium heat until soft and glossy. Add the chopped cabbage and stir properly, so that all of the cabbage is greased. Add the apples and stir. Add the seasoning: all spice, black pepper, bay leaves, sugar and vinegar (1-2 tbsp, according to preference). Add 200ml of water and bring to boil. The cabbage will need about 40-50 mins to cook on low/medium heat. Keep an eye on the amount of water in the pot and stir occasionally, otherwise it can burn.
    • Once the duck is fully cooked and the cabbage is soft, serve with dumplings/gnocchi/boiled potatoes with a little bit of the duck gravy. Enjoy!

    Nutritional Information (Estimates Only)

    Calories: 1172kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 93g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 1916mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 7024IU | Vitamin C: 326mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 10mg
    Keyword roasted duck czech recipe, roasted duck on red cabbage
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was! Give a star rating if you enjoyed it, this helps other readers who are looking for recipes like this!

    You may also like

    • A close-up photo of three slices of apple strudel dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon powder.
      Easy Apple Strudel With Puff Pastry
    • A top down photo of a plate stacked with baked cheesy goods next to a small bowl with butter and decorated with fresh parsley.
      Parmesan Bread Bites
    • A top down photo of two bowls with pumpkin and carrot soup. The bowls are on a dark scratched grey table top, next to a cobalt blue tea towel, and a few pieces of sourdough bread. There is a wooden spatula on top and bunch of fresh parsley in the top right corner of the picture.
      Pumpkin And Carrot Soup (Easy + Cozy!)
    • A square photo of a plate with stacked chicken kabobs, sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.
      Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs

    About Markie

    Hi there! I'm a passionate home cook, food blogger and photographer. I enjoy making great food without having to run to the shop every day. I'm here to help you cook easy and delicious meals from classic pantry ingredients. More about me

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    a profile picture of Markie

    Hi! My name is Markie and I'm here to help you cook easy and achievable meals that won't break your budget!

    I'm on a mission to provide you with awesome and quick recipes that feed the whole family and busy households.

    Enjoy your time here!

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • A top-down photo of a table spread with a bowl of red cabbage, and a plate of roast dinner with a roast chicken leg, braised red cabbage and dumplings.
    • A close up photo of a red velvet muffin with frosting on top.
    • A top down photo of three canapes with prosciutto, dried tomatoes and herbs.
    • A photo of three glass mugs with red wine, spices and sliced oranges, next to a candle, sliced orange and flowers.
    • A photo of a glass with coffee and cream, and mince pies on a side.
    • A close up photo of sundried tomato spread in a glass bowl, served with parsley
    • luxury chocolate barks as a gift in a jar
    • A bowl of potato salad in festive setting
    • A close-up photo of a plate of chili con carne with white rice, sliced avocado, a wedge of lime and a coriander leaf. There are three lime wedges and a bunch of fresh coriander next to the plate in the background.
    • A bowl with cooked beef, carrots, potatoes and onion in a sauce.
    • A close of photo of a burger with pulled meat, red sauce, coleslaw, sliced tomato and sliced red onion, in a brioche bun with white and black sesame seeds. Behind is another burger, a portion of chips and a glass of beer and a beer bottle.
    • A photo of a leek and potato soup served with cream, chopped herbs and crusty bread.

    Follow me

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates and never miss a recipe again!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me

    Copyright © 2025 Markie's Kitchen

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.