pluck the down on its breast immediately afterward and cook it within 24 hours, you cannot lay claim to having produced an authentic Rouen duck.”
So begins the recipe heading for Duckling Rouennaise on page 433 of the twenty-sixth printing (1981) of ‘Joy of Cooking’ by the Mesdames Rombauer and Becker; and, while I have absolutely no desire to produce and ‘authentic’ Rouen duck, I am MOST pleased with my $6.98 find today at Half Price Books.
We had stopped in to browse on our way back from the dentist and Trader Joe’s and were paying for our purchases (the first ‘Cat Who…’ book from the late Lilian Jackson Braun and and Erasure ‘Maxi Single’ on vinyl) when I mentioned to Rich that I’d looked for a pre-1997 edition of ‘Joy’ but hadn’t found one. The very pleasant sales clerk said that she was certain she had JUST seen the very book on a stock cart – and we were off in search of.
SUCCESS!
I am now the happy owner of said twenty-sixth edition (in far better shape than it would be if I had had it from new), and ready to explore it’s wonders – I was pointing out to Rich the ENTIRE subsection on molded salads!
He is now concerned…