272 COOKERY OF DUCKS AND GEESE 



One of Mrs. Peyser's sage aphorisms was, that 

 ' It's poor eating where the flavour o' the meat lies i' 

 the cruets.' But there are exceptions, and with the 

 wild duck a suitable and stimulating sauce is half the 

 battle. Here are two of Mistress Dods' best, and, 

 in my opinion, there are no better. She shares my 

 respect for Mr. Pleydell, and the first is christened 

 after him : ' To a quarter-pint of savoury brown 

 gravy put a glass of claret or port, pepper, salt, 

 cayenne, and a dessert-spoonful of finely-shred escha- 

 lot. Heat it and pour it over the ducks.' ' Add 

 mustard and a stronger seasoning,' she says, ' for wild 

 geese or the more fishy waterfowl.' Her mention of 

 claret shows the old Scottish predilection for that 

 wine, as there can be ' no question that the fuller- 

 flavoured vintage of Oporto is preferable. Her 

 second sauce is the Marquis's, and I am abroad as 

 to the noble epicure who gave that sauce his name. 

 The Marquis, likewise, holds for the Bordeaux. ' A 

 glass of claret, a spoonful of catsup, the same of 

 lemon-juice, a minced eschalot, thin slices of lemon- 

 rind, a little cayenne, with two blades of mace 

 pounded. Simmer these ingredients for a few 

 minutes, and then strain in the gravy which comes 

 from the wild-fowl in roasting.' 



Margaret Syme, another Scottish woman, goes for 



