Wild Duck with Glazed Turnips, after Escoffier’s Duckling

Known Ground reconstruction — not personally tested

Escoffier's historical formula specifies domestic duckling. The practical version below is a Known Ground wild-waterfowl reconstruction; it is not presented as Escoffier's wild-duck formula.

The source uses a domestic duckling. Two wild ducks preserve the whole-bird braise; prepared demi-glace replaces Espagnole and the source’s garlic-clove-shaped turnips remain a garnish.

Instructions

1. Brown the seasoned ducks in butter in a Dutch oven; remove them and deglaze with white wine.

2. Add stock, demi-glace, and bouquet garni. Return the ducks, cover, and braise at 350°F.

3. Brown the turnips in the reserved butter, sprinkle with sugar, and glaze lightly. Cook the pearl onions separately in a little butter until half tender.

4. When the ducks are halfway cooked, surround them with turnips and onions. Continue until the birds reach 165°F (74°C), then serve with the strained sauce and vegetables.

Historical formula

Escoffier browns a duckling in butter, deglazes with white wine, and braises it in brown stock, Espagnole, and a faggot. He separately browns one pound of garlic-clove-shaped turnips with sugar and cooks twenty small onions in butter, then finishes them around the half-cooked duckling.

Source note

Source-preserving summary from Auguste Escoffier, *A Guide to Modern Cookery* (1907), a public-domain English edition. Source location: No. 1748, p. 541; 1903 p. 873.