Duck with Cherries

Prepare a duck for an entree (No. 178) after cleaning and singeing it; lay it in a saucepan lined with slices of fat pork and moisten to half its height with a mirepoix white wine stock (No. 419) bring the liquid to a boil and finish cooking in a slow oven. Suppress the stones and stalks from one pound of sour cherries, set them into an untinned copper pan with a little water, lemon peel, cinnamon and sugar, and let boil for a few moments, in case there should be no fresh cherries at hand take candied cherries or dried black ones; these should be soaked for an hour in tepid water, drained and put into a pan with a little fresh water, lemon juice and its peel, also cinnamon. Boil the cherries, then keep it at the same degree of heat, but discontinue the boiling for half an hour; the liquid should now be entirely absorbed. After the duck is ready, remove it from the saucepan and untruss, strain its stock, free it of fat and let reduce with some good brown sauce (No. 414), and after it attains a sufficient succulence and is well-reduced, run it through a tammy over the cherries. Dress the duck in the center of a dish, pour half the gravy over, lay the cherries around and serve the remainder of the sauce in a sauce-boat.