Mock Duck and other pretend water-fowl

Despite feeling the wrong side of peckish quite a few times over the last couple of weeks, the wrong side of squeamish, and the wrong side of really-wanting-some-chocolate, I still can't begin to understand the direness and tedium of having to live by rations for so long that you would resort to "Mock Duck". I found this recipe with a mixture of amusement and pity in a book that gathers together recipes from the second world war designed to help people with making do: Marguerite Patten (ed.), We'll Eat Again: A Collection of Recipes from the War Years (London, 1985):

Mock Duck

Spread half a pound of sausagement into a flat layer in a well-greased baking tin or shallow casserole. Top with 8oz grated cooking apples, 8oz grated onion and 1/2 teaspoon dried sage. Add another half a pound of sausagemeat and shape this top layer to look as much like a duck as possible. Cover with well greased paper and bake in the centre of a moderately hot oven.


I'm sure it would really taste quite nice, but it's the complete lack of resemblance to anything like duck, skilful moulding techniques aside, that got me. Mock goose was a variation on the theme, this time alternating layers of potatoes, apples and cheese (not unlike my recipe for a tasty vegetarian dish, see below), this time omitting any reference to skilful shaping. Mind you, this was in a section of the book that is comprised of suggestions from the 'women-folk' of men who were 'having to do their own cooking... now that thousands of wives and mothers are helping in the factories, or evacuated to the country'. So, probably best to keep it simple!