Christmas duck with apples and oranges

To prepare a delicious, aromatic roast you obviously need a duck... If you choose a ready "dressed" bird available in butcher shops — the duck is ready to cook. If, however, you go for meat from your own home farm or from a friendly farmer — the duck should first be properly prepared: cleaned and patted dry. Next, season the meat with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Then refrigerate the duck for 3 hours. In the meantime, wash the oranges and apples. Peel the citrus fruit (also removing the albedo, i.e., the white pith) and cut out the segments (so you get just the flesh) - do this over a plate so as not to waste a single drop of juice! Peel half of the apples, remove the cores and cut into wedges. Generously sprinkle half of the oranges and the peeled apples with marjoram and thyme. Take the duck out of the fridge and place the fruit inside. Tie up the opening so that the stuffing does not come out during roasting. Prick the top of the duck all over with a fork, then sprinkle with thyme and marjoram. Place the duck in a roasting pan with a lid or in a Roman pot — make sure that 30 minutes pass between taking the duck out of the fridge and putting it into the oven — otherwise thermal shock will dry out the meat. Pour melted butter over the duck, cover and roast for 30 minutes at 180 degrees — preferably with convection. After this time, turn the duck over, baste again with butter and roast for 1 hour, basting the meat from time to time with wine. Cut the remaining half of the apples into wedges, removing the cores, then toss them into a heated frying pan. When the apples brown, add the remaining half of the oranges and the juice obtained while peeling them. Heat everything through. When the duck has finished roasting, remove the lid, add the fruit from the pan to the meat and roast the duck for another 30 minutes, until the skin is appetizingly browned. The duck tastes perfect both warm and cold!