Select young fat ducks; pick them nicely, singe, and draw them
carefully without washing them so as to preserve the blood and
consequently the full flavor of the bird; then truss it and place it
on the spit before a brisk fire, or in a pan in a hot oven for at
least fifteen or twenty minutes; then serve it hot with its own gravy,
which is formed by its own blood and juices, on a hot dish. It may
also be a little less cooked, and then carved and placed on a chafing
dish with red currant jelly, port wine, and a little butter.