Cookery for every household

1155. Braised Duck with Olives 1 duck. Some fat bacon. Flavouring vegetables. A bunch of herbs. Seasoning. 3 gills brown stock or sauce. French olives. ½ gill white wine. Croutons of bread. Prepare and truss the duck as for roasting. Cover the bottom of a stewpan or braising pan with thin slices of fat bacon, and lay some sliced carrot, turnip,* and onion on the top. Add a small bunch of herbs and make these thoroughly hot. Then put in the duck, season with pepper and salt, and fry or bake until both vegetables and duck are brown. Now pour off any liquid fat and add the stock or thin brown sauce. Cover the saucepan and cook in a fairly hot oven or on the top of the stove until the bird is tender, basting occasionally. When ready, lift out the duck, cut it in joints and arrange neatly on a hot dish. Strain the gravy, reduce it if necessary, then skim and strain over the duck. Garnish with croutons of fried bread or pastry and a few olives, which have been stoned and made thoroughly hot in the white wine. Notes. — The duck may be served whole if preferred. Other garnishes may be used instead of the olives. 1156. Duck with Turnips (Canard aux Navets) 1 tender duck. 7 or 8 young turnips. 2 oz. butter. Seasoning. 1 tea-sp. castor sugar. 1 table-sp. flour. 1£ pts. stock. 1 onion. A bunch of herbs. Prepare and truss the duck as for roasting. Dust with flour and season inside and outside with pepper and salt. Melt the butter in a deep stewpan, put in the duck and turn it over and over until it is nicely browned on all sides. Then remove the duck and put into the same saucepan the young turnips, which have been prepared and trimmed in neat pieces. Sprinkle them with castor sugar, cook them until lightly coloured, and then lift them on to a plate. Now add the flour to the fat left in the stewpan, mix until smooth and pour in the stock. Bring this to the boil, skim, add the bunch of herbs and onion cut in pieces and season to taste. Return the duck, cover and cook slowly from ½ to ¾ hour, then add the turnips and continue the cooking about | hour longer until the duck and turnips are tender. The duck should be turned occasionally during the cooking, but care must be taken not to break the turnips. When ready, lift the duck on to a hot dish, remove any trussing strings, and then arrange the turnips round. Reduce the sauce if necessary, remove all grease, and strain over and round the duck. Time to cook, hours. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. 1157. Duck with Celery 1 young duck. 1 cupful shred celery. Salt. Pepper. 2 or 3 bay-leaves. 2 cupfuls veal or chicken stock. 1 oz. butter. 1 oz. flour. 1 table-sp. mushroom ketchup. 1 table-sp. red-currant jelly. Croutons of fried bread or pastry.