For the filling peel and chop 1 onion. Wash 6 stems of thyme, shake dry and pluck leaves from the stems. Wash 3 apples, quarter them, cut out the core and cut into cubes. Mix onion, apples, thyme, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar and breadcrumbs
Wash the duck thoroughly, dab dry and rub with salt and pepper inside and out. Add the filling to the duck. Stick the opening together with wooden skewers. Tie together with kitchen string. Tie wings together with kitchen string
Place the duck on a fat pan and bake in a preheated oven (electric cooker: 175 °C/ convection oven: 150 °C/ gas: see manufacturer) for approx. 2 1/4 hours. After approx. 1 1/4 hours of frying time, add 300 ml duck stock and 200 ml water
Clean the red cabbage, wash it, quarter it and cut out the stalk. Cut red cabbage into strips. Peel and chop 2 onions. Cut 1 pomegranate in half and squeeze the juice on a large lemon squeezer
Heat clarified butter in a casserole, fry onions in it until translucent. Add laurel and juniper berries. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. sugar, caramelise slightly. Add the red cabbage and fry over medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning. Deglaze with 100 ml vinegar and pomegranate juice (approx. 125 ml). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and stew for about 1 1/4 hours
Meanwhile, to glaze the duck, caramelise 75 g of sugar in a small pan at low heat. Deglaze with 50 ml vinegar and 200 ml duck stock, bring to the boil. Let it boil down at medium heat for about 10 minutes. Spread the duck after the above mentioned roasting time and roast at the same temperature for another 1 1/4 hours. Spread several times during this time until the liquid is used up
For the sauce, peel and chop 3 onions. Peel, wash and cut the carrots into large pieces. Clean, wash and dice the celery. Wash 6 stalks of thyme, shake dry
Wash the duck's innards and pat dry. Heat the oil in a casserole dish, fry the offal thoroughly while turning. Add the carrots, celery, onions and thyme and fry well while turning. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with 1 litre of water, bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour. Cover and cook for the last 30 minutes. Then pour into a sieve, collecting the liquid (stock)
In the meantime warm milk for the giant gnocchi. Cut the ciabatta into small cubes. Put them in a bowl and pour milk over them. Peel and finely dice 1 onion. Wash parsley, shake dry and chop finely. Heat the fat, fry the diced ham and onion in it while turning. Add parsley. Remove from the stove. Stir with the ciabatta cubes, cover and let stand for about 15 minutes
Add eggs, salt and parmesan and knead well with your hands. Then form small dumplings from the dumpling dough with moistened hands. Press flat and press lightly with a large fork. Cover and put aside
Meanwhile peel 4 onions and cut them into slices. Wash the rest of the thyme, shake dry, put 1 thyme stalk aside for garnishing. Wash 4 apples thoroughly. Approx. 45 minutes before the end of the roasting time of the duck, add the sliced onions, thyme and apples to the fat pan
Bring plenty of salt water to the boil in a large, wide pot. Carefully add the gnocchi and simmer at low heat for about 20 minutes. Then carefully lift them out with a skimmer, let them drain and keep them warm
Cut 1 pomegranate in half and knock out the seeds with the back of a spoon. Season red cabbage with salt, pepper and sugar. Add the pomegranate seeds
Roughly chop the toffees. Remove duck, apples and onion slices from the fat pan. Keep warm. Pour the liquid from the fat pan into the collected stock, degrease. Boil up the stock with toffees while stirring. Stir starch and 4 tbsp. water until smooth, stir into the boiling stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper
Arrange the duck, apples, onion slices and gnocchi. Garnish with thyme. Add red cabbage