Recipe Manuscript

Wild Duck Sauce

Name: Wild Duck Sauce
Prep time: PTPT5M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 30 ml strong beef or game stock; 30 ml Harvey sauce (or Worcestershire sauce as substitute); 15 ml English mustard; 10 ml freshly ground black pepper; 10 ml cayenne pepper; 10 ml salt; 300 ml port wine (robust red wine); 15 ml fresh lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)

1856

From the treasured pages of Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment

Written by Charles Ellice, Colonel

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)European Beginner Dinner

Original Recipe • 1856

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Wild Duck Sauce

"Two tablespoonfuls of good strong gravy Two ditto of Harvey or Reading Sauce Two spoonful of Mustard Two ditto of Black Pepper Two ditto of Cayenne Pepper Two ditto of Salt Two large Claret glasses of Port Wine The Juice of half a lemon. It should be served up at dinner in a sauce pan quite hot. Glynde. Jan 1857"

Note on the Original Text

As was common in Victorian England, the recipe employs imprecise measurements—“tablespoonfuls” and “claret glasses”—that relied on domestic implements rather than modern standardized metrics. Spelling and ingredient names (e.g., 'ditto' for 'the same amount again') can be idiosyncratic. The language is direct and practical, suited to a reader familiar with kitchen routines, rather than the detailed, stepwise direction favored today. Some ingredients, such as Harvey Sauce, may be obsolete or rare, so modern equivalents like Worcestershire sauce are often used. The recipe’s brevity is characteristic of personal manuscript cookbooks, assuming a cook's prior knowledge and experience.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment
- Click to view recipe in book

Title

Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment (1856)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Charles Ellice, Colonel

Era

1856

Publisher

Colonel Charles Ellice

Background

A charming manuscript cookbook chronicling the culinary escapades of Colonel Charles Ellice during his globe-trotting military career, featuring recipes from Highland butter to yeastless bread, spicy curries, and even a dash of Victorian medicine—all penned alongside evocative ink sketches and a personal index.

Kindly made available by

McGill University

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from the mid-19th-century manuscript cookbook of Colonel Charles Ellice, a British officer whose culinary notes span his extensive postings, often in India. The volume reflects both British domestic cookery and the adaptations required by travel and colonial service. The use of strong, savory sauces—heralded by the likes of Harvey and Reading sauces—demonstrates Victorian tastes for boldly flavoured condiments to accompany game, a staple at sporting tables and officers’ messes. Recipes in such traveling manuscript books were often collaborative, penned in multiple hands and traded among officers, their families, and cooks, leading to an eclectic mix of cuisines and innovations.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 1850s, the sauce would have been made using a small iron or copper saucepan over an open hearth or wood-fired stove. Measuring would have been done with spoons and wine glasses from the tableware rather than standardized tools. A simple spoon or small whisk would suffice for mixing. For serving, the sauce pan itself might be brought to the table, still hot from the fire, in keeping with the Victorian fondness for dramatic, hearty presentation.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons strong beef or game stock
2 tablespoons Harvey sauce (or Worcestershire sauce as substitute)
1 tablespoon English mustard
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups port wine (robust red wine)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)

Instructions

To create Wild Duck Sauce today, start by warming 2 tablespoons of strong beef or game stock in a small saucepan.
Add 2 tablespoons of Harvey sauce (substitute with Worcestershire sauce if unavailable), and 1 tablespoon of English mustard.
Add 2 teaspoons each of freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Pour in 1 1/4 cups of a robust red wine, such as port, and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon).
Heat the mixture gently until steaming, whisking to combine.
Serve the sauce piping hot, ideally in a small saucepan or gravy boat, with roasted wild duck.

Estimated Calories

60 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend a few minutes preparing your ingredients, and only a short time heating and mixing the sauce. Each serving has a moderate calorie count, as it is mostly liquid with some seasonings and wine. The recipe yields enough sauce for about 4 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.