Baked Duck or Goose and Sauerkraut

This recipe was written for wild duck which it works great for, but we have also used it for domestic duck and guinea fowl and also for wild pheasant.  We found the original version of this recipe in Wild Game Cooking Made Easy by John Schumacher, the Executive Chef at a restaurant in New Prague, MN.  Also check out our favorite duck recipe at:  http://couleeviewfarmcsa.blogspot.com/2010/12/baked-goose-or-duck-in-mushroom-wild.html

We have adapted it to the crock pot which works well for us as it can cook while we are working on the farm.  Here it is:

• Fowl.  Two medium sized wild ducks, or one wild goose, or one cut up domestic duck, or a couple pheasant (wild or domestic), or a couple guinea fowl, or a half of a domestic goose.
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock -- see our recipe included here  http://couleeviewfarmcsa.blogspot.com/2010/12/baked-goose-or-duck-in-mushroom-wild.html
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tsp caraway seed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups sauerkraut (we used home-made canned if we have it, otherwise Frank's works fine.  When serving, try adding some uncooked naturally fermented kraut, like Fizzeology to add more kraut flavor)

Clean and cut fowl into quarters.  Trim off excess fat and skin.  Dredge in flour.  Heat oil in a deep pan or Dutch oven and brown fowl on all sides.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Add remaining flour and stir to combine.  Add wine, chicken stock, brown sugar and spices.  Stir with a wooden spoon.  Be sure to stir in the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. 

Rinse kraut to remove salt, drain and add to mixture.  Cover and bake at 350 for 2 hours or on low in a crock pot until the meat is tender (6 - 8 hours).