New-York tribune., 1896-11-15
THE GAME SEASON.
NOVEMBER REPRESENTS THE HIGH
TIDE"
THE MucH-soUcHr cANvAs-bAcK DUcK-ho"
TT SHOULD DE COOKED AND SERVED

THE MucH.soucHr cANvAs-pAcK DucK-iiow
IT SHOULD DE COOKED AND SERVED.
rb. month OF November represents the high
tide" OF the game season. All species OF game are
| 4, nrine condition That prince Of game BIRDS the
| canvasback duck. may now be purchaseu al as
| low n price as 1t ever reaches In our markets. II
! Is always n costly bird. Frequently one must pay
! as high az 81 for a pair inc redheau
duck which is closely allied 70 II. and. under IA
yorabe circumstances. fully equal to It, costs less
| than onc-haif :hc price canvasback brings Ihe
| AVERAGE sea duck. which feeds on diet OF mol
! ITS and fish is UNIT for food The canvasback
! and redhead are both sea ducks. but. by some
evolution OF the species they have become vege
| tar.ans and the choicest bonne oouche ior 'he
cpcuro's table. - ,,
| q, U.vrc dc Gracc and other parts Of the Chesa-
! ncokc the canvasback duck IL superior to the
! rcdhcad and no doubt The choicest OF all game
| birds When purchased In our markets ne y a
/ very uncertain bird to depend upon for an cpl
| curcan feast. He Is occasionally guilty OF serious
| lon.es IN his dict. and when he cannot get the
| roo, ~ tho Vanisner,a sp!ralls he will sometimes
| "a. nsh and mollusfs. Ike common sea duck
! tn. few canvasback ducks shot at Great South
! nav and on the Jersey coast are common ana hsny
" c,vor Even on its own feeding beds the
| r,lcula vailsnera. a- the canvasoack duck IS
| ,ooun 10 the scientific world. has been known
| ,dlonly 20 fy on TO the seashore to induBe
| degenerate appetite for sea food
! A A rule however the canvasoack OF inc ohos
! aneak. Is worthy OF every praise the gourmet can
! ,os,ou unon Il, T. IL far superior to the same
| h,rd shot on the Pacific coast where the wallis
rcr,, docs not grow. The rcdhcad duck. which
cats III. upper portions OF the same plant that the
| canvashack feeds upon. VIII ocoGsioha'y cat SEA
| food.
| 7, Is lmposslbe to tell exactly In what eccen-
,rIctles OF die, tho ducks sold In New-York market
stalls have bccn indulging wild celery feeder
! In all particulars Of outward appearance resembles
| a fish feeder. 1t thus happens Therefore. WAt
, these ducks are occasionally a disappointment 10
| n cultured palate and very different bird from
,bos. shot in the Chesap apeake and served on Mary
land tables. with their accompaniment OF ir'eu
horliny and Baltimore apple breai
Like the Wild turkey that benjamin Franklin
would have made the American National standard
bearer the canynshack duck ard the redhead are
strictly American birds. The valsncrla on when
they feed 10 not remotely connected with the
rarslcv family to which tho celery belongs IL
takes its name from tho outward resemblance Oh
the snowy TO celery. II is 4 tsmiar water
plant cf Europe and the Eastern United States.
IL grows beneath the surface Of n great many
American inland lakcs. and In slow waters all over
I'm. country Tho curious manner IN which the
long scapcs coil up spiray after fertilization ana
draw the tiny floating flower beneath the surface
10 ripen the fruit makes the plant an interesting
TO the botanist
dives. and the redhead and other ducks who follow
IN his track subss, on the upper parts OF the plant
which ne leaves behind.
! Some authorities In cookery. MISLEADING the food
Of these Chesapeake ducks for wild condition or
| the familiar table celery have attempted TO impart
this flavor the flesh while roasting II. Thence
| come absurd direc Ions for placing chopped celery
stalks I'm the body OF the bird. There Ii no method
| O. improving the flavor OF the canvasback. II the
| birds arc fine and fat ana come from Havre dc
| ~. tho.x will inln
They must be cooked as simply and as rapidly as
| possible See that tho birds have been properly
| picked. slnged and drawn. DO not SOAK them
moment but wash them with cloth and wipe them
dry. There but two ways of cooking either the
redhead or canvasback- They should be roasted or
| broIled.
II thoy to be broed split them down the
|, back and hatcn them In tho same way II chicken
IS prepared. It IL a culinary blunder to stuT any
, Wild bird for roasting. Let tho duck be roasted
Just as 1t H. seasoning 1t inside and outside with
salt and dredging 1t the outside very lightly with
-four. Lay tho ducks on their backs In dripping
pan to roast unless you arc fortunate enough to
have a regular method OF roasting before the fire
There gas stoves where roasting Is done under
a sheet OF flame: this method is preferable to any
unventated oven There also ventilated ovens
which give about the same conditions as those 10 be
, obtained by roasting before the open fire on spit
Ducks roasted by either OF these methods are vastly
superior to those cooked in ordinary oven be-
tho process of cooking. However the birds are
roasted. serve them rare Eighteen % minutes In
. average gourmet's taste. Women, who seldom pre-
fer game rare men. usually Ike the birds bet
ter IL they cooked twenty-five or even thirty
minutes. If the ducks show signs OF browning toe
fast baste them with little nice stock. Serve then
. on a hot platter the moment they are done. Nc
game can afford walt instant after II Is cooked
Decorate roasted canyasback or redhead duck with
slices of Southern hcmlny fried to golden brown
Allow six slices to n pair OF ducks.
, | This IN not tho fine homny sold at the North
under that name. but the coarse variety called
:'samp' in the Northern markets. and usually SOLD
cooked In Southern markets,
The whtcst and crispest OF celery Is a delightful
Q accompaniment Of any game II L. no more essen
tial TO Chesapeake duck than TO Western partridge
or Wild turkey. slightly bitter salad Is excellent
with duck like OF escarole or OF the Ions
bleached leaves OF the wild chcory which Is called
!. by the French barbe du capucn.
, The redhead and canvasback closely resemb,
each other Both are marked more less by wav,
lines OF black ON their white backs and Sides The,
are easily distinguished by their heads. The
. ! canvasback has smooth head clothed with shor
feathers and bill longer than Its head while tn,
U redhead has long feathers on Its head ard shor
bill Of dull blue banded the tip with black. Th
bill Of the redhead 10 very characteristic. II u onlI