Duck Egg Ideas.

Today, August 29^th …

Today’s topic is the request of Jo Davidson, an Aussie who keeps chooks and honey-bees and “cooks a bit too”. Apparently she has a supply of duck eggs, and is interested in some ideas for using them.

Well Jo, I do have a most interesting recipe for you. Do let me know if you try it.

Larks in Shells.
Boil twelve Hen or Duck Eggs soft; take out all the Inside, making a handsome Round at the Top; then fill half the Shells with passed Crumbs, and roast your Larks; put one in every Shell, and fill your Plate with passed Crumbs brown; so serve as Eggs in Shells.
[The lady's companion: or, an infallible guide to the fair sex. Containing, rules, directions, and observations, for their conduct and behaviour ... The second edition. London, 1740]

In case you cant get larks or a suitable substitute, or you still have duck eggs to use up, you can substitute them for any recipe using hens’ eggs, remembering to take into account that duck eggs are larger. If you are sick of scrambled and fried and so on, you could salt them as the Chinese and Thai do. The best way of course, as I know you are fully aware, is to use them in baking. Duck eggs are superb in cakes because of the yolk has more fat and the white has more protein than hens’ eggs, both of which help enormously in making cakes rise and stay risen. Here is a recipe for a cake that specifically suggests duck eggs.

Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 cups butter or margarine
1 cup milk
2 tsp. lemon or vanilla extract, or 1 of each
3 cups sugar
6 duck eggs or 10 hen eggs
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside. Have butter, milk and eggs at room temperature. Cream butter until very light and fluffy then add sugar gradually, creaming all the while. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
Combine milk and flavoring. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do this in four or five additions.
Pour into a well greased and floured bundt pan and a small loaf pan.
Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and 20 minutes
[From an Abilene newspaper of 1976]

Tomorrow’s Story …

Drinking and Eating Apple Jack.

Quotation for the Day …

There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn." Dr. Samuel Johnson.