fineness of
flesh.

HASHED DUCK (Cold Meat Cookery).

932. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold roast duck, rather more than 1
pint of weak stock or water, 1 onion, 1 oz. of butter, thickening of
butter and flour, salt and cayenne to taste, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced
lemon-peel, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, 1/2 glass of port wine.

_Mode_.--Cut the duck into nice joints, and put the trimmings into a
stewpan; slice and fry the onion in a little butter; add these to the
trimmings, pour in the above proportion of weak stock or water, and stew
gently for 1 hour. Strain the liquor, thicken it with butter and flour,
season with salt and cayenne, and add the remaining ingredients; boil it
up and skim well; lay in the pieces of duck, and let them get thoroughly
hot through by the side of the fire, but do not allow them to boil: they
should soak in the gravy for about 1/2 hour. Garnish with sippets of
toasted bread. The hash may be made richer by using a stronger and more
highly-flavoured gravy; a little spice or pounded mace may also be
added, when their flavour is liked.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, 4d.

_Seasonable_ from November to February; ducklings from May to August.

THE DUCK.--This bird belongs to the order of _Natatores_, or
Swimmers; the most familiar tribes of which are ducks, swans,
geese, auks, penguins, petrels, pelicans, guillemots, gulls, and
terns. They mostly live in the water, feeding on fish, worms,
and aquatic plants. They are generally polygamous, and make
their nests among reeds, or in moist places. The flesh of many
of the species is eatable, but that of some is extremely rank
and oily. The duck is a native of Britain, but is found on the
margins of most of the European lakes. It is excessively greedy,
and by no means a nice feeder. It requires a mixture of
vegetable and animal food; but aquatic insects, corn, and
vegetables, are its proper food. Its flesh, however, is savoury,
being not so gross as that of the goose, and of easier
digestion. In the green-pea season it is usually found on an
English table; but, according to Ude, "November is its proper
season, when it is plump and fat."

TO RAGOUT A DUCK WHOLE.

933. INGREDIENTS.--1 large duck, pepper and salt to taste, good beef
gravy, 2 onions sliced, 4 sage-leaves, a few leaves of lemon thyme,
thickening of butter and flour.

_Mode_.-