(another way). — Clean two wild ducks, and cut oft' the flesh from the breasts and sides in neat slices. Put the carcases and giblets of the birds into a saucepan with a thick slice of fresh butter rolled in flour, and add half a dozen mushrooms and two shallots finely minced, the parings of two ounces of truffles, and a little salt, cayenne, and pounded mace. Shake the saucepan over the fire for ten or fifteen minutes ; pour into it a quarter of a pint of brown gravy, and let its contents simmer gently for half an hour. Add a large wine-glassful of claret✪ Wild Duck, Fillets of, with Truffles, let it simmer a little longer, and strain it. WILD DUCK. Wnd Duck, Roast.— Let the bird be freshly killed. Stuff it with crumb of bread soaked in port or claret. Truss it securely, rub it over with the liver, flour it, put it down to a clear brisk fire, and baste constantly. Let the spit turn very rapidly. When the bird is sufiiciently roasted (and it is generally pre- ferred underdressed) , take it up, put it on a dish, without gravy, -svith an uncut lemon on either side of it, and with wild duck gra\-y in a tureen. The carver will frequently cut a lemon in halves, put salt on one side and cayenne✪ Wild Duck, Roast on the other, then score the breast of the duck deeply, squeeze the two lemons together over it, and pour a glassful of port upon it. Time to roast the duck, fifteen to twenty-five minute^ Probable cost, 4s. to 5s. per pair. ^ Wild Ducks. — Notwithstanding the slightly fishy flavour of the flesh, wild duck is highly esteemed by epicures. It is trussed like a tame duck, with the feet left on and turned close to the body. It is often said that WIL ( 1126 ) WIL a wild duck should be allowed only to fly tlu-ough a hot kitchen before it is sent to table ; and though this is scarcely the case, still the bird is considered to be in perfection only when it is crisp and brown on the surface, and so much underdone that the gravy flows into the dish when it is cut. The wild duck should be very fresh, should be roasted before a brisk fire on a spit that revolves rapidly, and it should be basted constantly. The duck is to be preferred to the drake, though the latter often fetches the higher price. Wild Ducks (American fashion) .—Pluck and draw the ducks, wipe the inside with a cloth, and sprinkle salt and pepper over them inside and out. Fill them with crumb of bread which has been thickly buttered and soaked in hot water till quite soft. Truss them securely, put them down to a clear fire, and baste them for ten minutes with half a pint of sHghtly-salted water in which a sliced onion has been soaked. This is to remove the vm- pleasant fishy flavour from the birds. When it has been used, throw the onion water away, and in its place put half a pint of hot water. Baste the birds with a little butter, dredge flour over them, and baste with the water in the pan. When they are done enough, take them up, and serve with gravy which has been made by stewing the giblets, then straining the liquor, thickening it with brown thickening, and stirring into it a table-spoonful of black- currant jelly, a glassful of port, and a little salt and cayenne. Time to roast the ducks, twenty to thirty minutes. ✪ Wild Ducks, Fillets of, with Poivrade Sauce

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(another way). — Clean two wild ducks, and cut oft' the flesh from the breasts and sides in neat slices. Put the carcases and giblets of the birds into a saucepan with a thick slice of fresh butter rolled in flour, and add half a dozen mushrooms and two shallots finely minced, the parings of two ounces of truffles, and a little salt, cayenne, and pounded mace. Shake the saucepan over the fire for ten or fifteen minutes ; pour into it a quarter of a pint of brown gravy, and let its contents simmer gently for half an hour. Add a large wine-glassful of claret, let it simmer a little longer, and strain it. WILD DUCK. Wnd Duck, Roast.— Let the bird be freshly killed. Stuff it with crumb of bread soaked in port or claret. Truss it securely, rub it over with the liver, flour it, put it down to a clear brisk fire, and baste constantly. Let the spit turn very rapidly. When the bird is sufiiciently roasted (and it is generally pre- ferred underdressed) , take it up, put it on a dish, without gravy, -svith an uncut lemon on either side of it, and with wild duck gra\-y in a tureen. The carver will frequently cut a lemon in halves, put salt on one side and cayenne on the other, then score the breast of the duck deeply, squeeze the two lemons together over it, and pour a glassful of port upon it. Time to roast the duck, fifteen to twenty-five minute^ Probable cost, 4s. to 5s. per pair. ^ Wild Ducks. — Notwithstanding the slightly fishy flavour of the flesh, wild duck is highly esteemed by epicures. It is trussed like a tame duck, with the feet left on and turned close to the body. It is often said that WIL ( 1126 ) WIL a wild duck should be allowed only to fly tlu-ough a hot kitchen before it is sent to table ; and though this is scarcely the case, still the bird is considered to be in perfection only when it is crisp and brown on the surface, and so much underdone that the gravy flows into the dish when it is cut. The wild duck should be very fresh, should be roasted before a brisk fire on a spit that revolves rapidly, and it should be basted constantly. The duck is to be preferred to the drake, though the latter often fetches the higher price. Wild Ducks (American fashion) .—Pluck and draw the ducks, wipe the inside with a cloth, and sprinkle salt and pepper over them inside and out. Fill them with crumb of bread which has been thickly buttered and soaked in hot water till quite soft. Truss them securely, put them down to a clear fire, and baste them for ten minutes with half a pint of sHghtly-salted water in which a sliced onion has been soaked. This is to remove the vm- pleasant fishy flavour from the birds. When it has been used, throw the onion water away, and in its place put half a pint of hot water. Baste the birds with a little butter, dredge flour over them, and baste with the water in the pan. When they are done enough, take them up, and serve with gravy which has been made by stewing the giblets, then straining the liquor, thickening it with brown thickening, and stirring into it a table-spoonful of black- currant jelly, a glassful of port, and a little salt and cayenne. Time to roast the ducks, twenty to thirty minutes.

Cassell's dictionary of cookery