Recipe Junction

Our Favorite Recipes'

Duck in a 17th-Century Sauce

In the mid-17th century, the English diarist Samuel Pepys described dining on swan. I asked my students if they would eat swan. They found swan even more off-putting than tapir.

People stopped eating swan because turkey became available and was meatier and easier to grow. As time passed, eating swan became taboo. Eating tapir became taboo with the introduction of domestic pork.

Sorry, I couldn't find a recipe for tapir, but I did manage to find one for swan. This recipe is based on a 17th-century recipe for swan or wild goose. I have adapted it for duck. It uses methods that now seem quaint. Nonetheless, I found the dish to be highly appealing comfort fare for any century.

Duck in a 17th-Century Sauce

4 servings

• 1 whole duck
• 1 bottle red wine
• 6 cloves peeled garlic
• 2-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 slices stale bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Cooked rice or pasta

Remove the giblets (heart, liver and gizzard) from the duck and set aside. Place the duck in a large pot. Pour wine into pot and add enough water to just cover the duck. Add garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, coriander and peppercorns. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, or until the meat pulls easily from the bone. Meanwhile, place the giblets in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Simmer for 1 hour.

Lift the duck from the poaching liquid and set aside to cool. When duck is cool, pull the meat from the bones. Discard skin and bones.

Strain the wine broth, discarding the spices. Skim the fat from the broth. Transfer the strained liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the salt and the bread slices. Stirring often, cook until the sauce is reduced to 11/2 cups. As you stir, mash the bread cubes into the liquid until the bread dissolves.Chop the cooked giblets and stir them into the sauce. Add the duck meat and cook for 3 minutes. Serve immediately over cooked rice or noodles.

Garnish with minced parsley.

Prior | Submit your recipe | Next

Add to Your Social Bookmarks: Del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Simpy Spurl Y! MyWeb - StumbleUpon