You can make this dish with wild or farm ducks, baked in the oven, barded, salted and peppered inside without any additional fat, or cook them in a casserole without barding, frying them in the butter before covering them. Don╒t overcook, in either case, the meat should be rare. Take out of the cooking or the baking dish so that they give out their juice without fat. Keep warm. To make the sauce, reduce by 1/3 the port wine to which you have added the ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a level tablespoon grated orange rind. Then add the red currant jelly and the orange juice. Infuse for 10 minutes, stirring to melt the jelly. Put through a fine sieve, add the drained cherries. Cut the duck into pieces, collect all the juice (without fat). Put the pieces of duck into the sauce with the juice. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes over a very low heat, only until the meat is medium cooked. Serve the dish decorated with cherries, and the sauce in a sauceboat.
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2 young ducks
14 tbsp port wine
1 cup red currant jelly
5 cloves
cinnamon
1 orange
2/3 lb pitted cherries, fresh, canned or cooked without sugar
