Wildente mit Sauerkirschen
​(Wild duck with sour cherries)

Ingredients:  (for 4 people)

500 g (18 oz) spätzle (available at Trader Joe’s)
1 wild duck (a young duck will do it)
750 g (1 ½ lb) sour cherries with sauce
40 g (1 ½ oz) butter
½ l (2 ¼ cups) red Bordeaux wine (or California red wine made of cabernet sauvignon and   merlot grapes)
1/8 l (1/2 cup) cherry brandy

50 g (2 oz) brown sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
1 clove
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp kirsch
salt and pepper
2-3 cooked pears, e.g. Williams Christian
180 g (6 oz) cranberry preserve
​

Directions:

Rub salt and pepper into the inside of duck. 
Wrap the duck with twine.
Heat the butter in a pan and roast the duck (approximately 30 minutes) until it looks  golden brown. 
Bring the red wine together with brown sugar, stick of cinnamon, and clove  to the boil , add the sour cherries (without their stones), and draw 15 minutes. Add the cherry brandy.
Add the sour cherries (together with their sauce) to the duck, add spice (in particular much pepper) and let it simmer (about 20 minutes).
Cook the spätzle.  
Mix cornstarch in cherry-wine sauce and add the kirsch.
Put the duck on a hot plate and the cherries around the duck.
Fill the pear halves with the cranberries and place around the duck.
Serve he duck together with the cherries, pear halves, cherry-wine sauce, and cooked spätzle.