No. 1933

Ducklings a la Grainville—Larded

Canetons Piques a la Grainville

Have two ducklings, draw, singe and lard them with medium lardons (No. 3, Fig. 52), having previously plunged them in boiling water to render the meat firm. Line a saucepan with some slices of ham, place the ducklings on top and set around carrots, onions and a bunch of parsley garnished with bay leaf and thyme. Moisten to half their height with stock (No. 194a) and finish cooking, basting over frequently and glazing them in such a way that they attain a nice color; strain the stock free of its fat and reduce it to the consistency of a light syrup, mix in some blanched chopped up shallots, then remove from the fire and squeeze in the juice of two oranges. Dress and garnish around with slices of apple besprinkled with sugar and cooked in the oven; serve the sauce in a sauce boat separately.

← No. 1932 Duckling a la Bourguignonne—Fried Duck & Goose No. 1934 Duckling a la Lyonnaise →

For the Modern Kitchen

Ranhofer writes for a brigade with a larder full of prepared stocks and a cook who already knows how to lard. Translated into a home kitchen this is a braised duck with an orange-shallot glaze and roasted apple slices — straightforward once the shorthand is unpacked.

The hinge: braise low, glaze at the end"Finish cooking, basting over frequently and glazing" implies the birds finish in a modest amount of liquid and are then basted repeatedly with the reducing stock until the skin takes on colour. Ranhofer does not say whether the pan is covered, nor does he give a temperature or a time. As a starting point, gentle heat (around 275-300F) for roughly 1 to 1.5 hours for ducklings of 3-4 lb, then hotter and uncovered for the last 15-20 minutes, basting to build the glaze.
Larding, and whether to bother"Piques" means studded with lardons of pork fat drawn through the flesh with a larding needle. Duckling has ample fat of its own, and this step is nineteenth-century presentation as much as moisture. If you skip it, nothing is lost but the striped surface; if you do it, use firm salt pork or fatback cut into strips about ⅛ inch square.
The boiling-water plungeRanhofer's stated reason is to "render the meat firm," which makes it easier to draw lardons through the flesh without tearing. It is not a cooking step; a brief dip is all that is meant, though the recipe gives no time.
Stock No. 194aA cross-reference to the stock entry elsewhere in The Epicurean. Use a good unsalted chicken or veal stock; it will be reduced hard at the end, so anything salty or heavily seasoned will turn harsh.
"Line a saucepan" means braise, not fryThe ham slices are a foundation to keep the birds off the metal and add cured flavour to the braising liquid. Any heavy lidded pot that holds two ducklings snugly will do — a Dutch oven is the modern equivalent. Moisten only to half the height of the birds, as written, so the upper part roasts rather than poaches.
The sauceStrain, degrease thoroughly (duck throws a great deal of fat), reduce to a light syrup, add the blanched chopped shallots, then take it off the heat before the orange juice goes in. Ranhofer is explicit about that order, though he gives no reason for it.
Apple garnishFirm slices dusted with sugar and baked until tender and lightly caramelised. Ranhofer gives no temperature or time; around 375F for 15-20 minutes is a reasonable modern reading. A tart apple that holds its shape is best; a soft dessert apple will collapse.
YieldTwo ducklings serve four to six, depending on how much of the meat you carve off the legs. The sauce is intense and goes in a boat, so a scant tablespoon or two per plate is enough.

A Little History

Charles Ranhofer, chef of Delmonico's in New York, published The Epicurean in 1894 as a full record of the restaurant's repertoire, and its duck chapter reads like a catalogue of the French classical treatment of the bird: à la Bourguignonne, à la Lyonnaise, and this one "à la Grainville." Personal and place-name garnitures of this kind proliferated in nineteenth-century French kitchens, and many — this among them — cannot now be tied to a documented person or town with any confidence; they functioned as menu labels a headwaiter could recite. What the dish itself preserves is older and clearer: the pairing of duck with orange and with apple, both long-standing answers to a fatty bird, the acid and the sweetness cutting the richness. The braise-then-glaze method, and the ham lining the pot, belong to a period when a restaurant kitchen kept several stocks going at all times and could afford to reduce the braising liquid down to a few spoonfuls of sauce for two birds.