Wild duck

(Recipe #8, page 149)

Regarding the age of the duck, see the discussion of goose above. If the duck is to be cooked whole, rub it with fine salt and pepper and set it tightly covered on the stove with a generous amount of butter and suet, with two bay leaves, 2 lemon slices, and 8 juniper berries added; after it has begun to brown on both sides, pour in a little boiling water and simmer the duck until it is tender and lightly browned. Some thick cream is a good addition to the preparation.

Wild duck

(Recipe #163, page 117)

Wild ducks are prepared like domestic ducks; they are roasted on slices of pork fat and made tender and moist by the addition of thick cream after they have begun roasting. If cream is not available, an occasional tablespoon of milk can be added; it will also improve the gravy.

Translated by David Green.

Steamed duck in brown sauce

(Recipe #151, page 114)

Take a mature young duck, add 1/4 quart water, a piece of butter the size of an egg, 6 shallots, as much salt as is needed. Let simmer slowly, covered, so the gravy does not boil down too quickly. After the duck is done, add in a tablespoon of flour that has been browned in butter, 1/2 – 1 glass of wine, 4 – 6 pieces of ground cloves, and a little sugar. Let the duck simmer a while longer in this sauce.

Duck à la Française

(Recipe #150, page 114)

Chop the liver together with some pork fat and shallots, incorporate them into a forcemeat with white bread pressed in water, 2 eggs, nutmeg, and salt. Stuff the duck, then sew it shut.

Then put butter or bacon grease into a pot, add a handful of parsley, 3 – 4 whole onions, and several scorzonera or yellowroot, and let the duck cook till done, golden brown. Stir in a little sweated flour, boiling water, and a little vinegar, and as desired some sugar. Let the duck simmer in the sauce a few minutes longer.

Translated by David Green.

Duck stewed with onions

(Recipe #149, page 114)

Boil the duck in salted water, skimming thoroughly. Add ½ soup-plateful of sliced onions, some white bread and cloves, along with tarragon if available, and cook all together until quite tender. Strain the gravy through a sieve, cook it with lemon slices, and pour it over the duck.

Translated by David Green.

Roast duck

(Recipe #148, page 114)

The duck may be roasted stuffed or unstuffed. Use quartered apples and currants to stuff the duck, or better take finely chopped heart, lungs, liver, and stomach (with its membrane removed), adding creamed butter half the size of an egg, 2 eggs, ⅓ pound of wheat bread soaked in cold water and well pressed, nutmeg, and salt. Or following English practice fill the cavity with onions, sage, rue, and salt.

Translated by David Green.

Duck in savoy cabbage

(Recipe #30, page 57)

Depending on the size of the heads, cut the cabbage into 2–4 pieces. Remove the thick veins but keep the pieces whole. Wash the cabbage and place in a colander. Meanwhile brown a duck in butter, add a few rashers of bacon, 2 cups of water, and the cabbage, without letting the heads fall apart; sprinkle some salt in layers between the pieces, cover the pot tightly, and steam both over gentle heat some 1½–2 hours until tender. To serve, place the duck in a bowl and garnish with the cabbage.

If you don’t want to cook the duck with the cabbage, the vegetable can also be prepared with the liquid from the roast duck and the duck added after roasting. (It should also be noted that it is easy to oversalt Savoy cabbage.)

Translated by David Green.