Chapter XVI: Part 16

Cook and fillet four wild ducks as before, dress them in crown on your dish and serve with a sauce fumée de gibier over, made from the legs and bones of the ducks as described (No. 60).

No. 896. _Salmi de Canetons Sauvage aux truffes._

Proceed exactly as for salmi de grouse (No. 876), only cutting up two wild ducks in neat pieces instead of the grouse, but the wild ducks require to be more underdone.

No. 897. _Filets de Canetons Sauvage à la purée de Grouse._

Roast and fillet four wild ducks as before, dress them in crown, and serve with a sauce à la purée de grouse (No. 59) over.

Widgeons are rather smaller than the wild ducks, but are dressed exactly the same; care should be taken in roasting any kind of water-fowl that it should be rather underdone, and if there is a necessity for warming them in sauce when cut up for entrées, care should be taken that they do not boil in it, for it would give the sauce a greasy appearance, and cause the fillets to eat tough and altogether very unpalatable.

No. 898. _Turban de Filets de Sarcelles à la Moderne._

Teal are much smaller than either of the two last, but of the same species, though more delicate and excellent for entrées.

Roast eight teal twenty minutes in vegetables, cut out the fillets, which must be underdone with the gravy in them, have ready half a pound of game forcemeat (No 123), when cold cover each of the fillets very thinly with it, dress them in crown upon a border of mashed potatoes, set them in a very hot oven for ten minutes till the forcemeat is cooked, sauce over with a sauce fumée de gibier (No. 60) and serve.

No. 899. _Turban de Sarcelles à la Toulouse._

Roast and fillet eight teal as in the last, dress them on a border of mashed potatoes, then put eight spoonfuls of game sauce (No. 60), eight of consommé, and eight of tomata sauce (No. 37) in a stewpan, boil them together a few minutes, add twenty pickled mushrooms, sauce over and serve.

No. 900. _Sarcelles au jus d’orange._

Roast six teal as before, cut them in halves, chop off the pinions of the wings, beat them a little and dress in crown, sauce over with au jus d’orange (No. 17) and serve.

Teal may be dressed in any way as directed for the wild ducks.

No. 901. _Sarcelles à la Batelière._

Bone four teal by cutting the skin through down the back, separating the skin on each side of it until you have cleared it, lay the bird open, take out the back-bone, and with a knife you will find no difficulty in taking out all the rest; half fill them with forcemeat (No. 120) and sew them up with packthread, then put them into a stewpan with three glasses of sherry, a pint of white stock, half a pound of lean uncooked ham, two onions, one head of celery, a bunch of parsley, a little carrot, turnip, two cloves, and a blade of mace; put the cover on the stewpan and place it in a moderate oven for an hour, try with a larding-needle, and if tender they are done; lay them on a cloth to drain, make three croutons of bread each in the shape of a cockscomb, but a great deal thicker and larger, put three of the teal at the bottom of the dish, and stand a crouton (nicely fried) between each to form six points, place the remaining teal upon the top, and have ready the following sauce: strain the stock the teal was cooked in through a cloth into another stewpan, skim off all the fat, add half a pint of white sauce (No. 7), reduce it till it adheres to the back of the spoon, add a little cream sauce over and serve.

No. 902. _Sarcelles à la macédoine de légumes._

Roast four teal in vegetables, cut them in halves, dress in crown on a border of mashed potatoes, and serve with a white sauce macédoine de légumes (No. 98) in the centre.

No. 903. _Sarcelles à la purée de champignons._

Proceed as in the last, but serve with a purée of mushrooms (No. 54) in the centre.

No. 904. _Filets de Bécasses à la Lucullus._

Roast six woodcocks underdone, take the fillets out carefully, have ready half a pound of very white forcemeat of chicken (No. 122), cover each fillet all over about the eighth of an inch in thickness, egg them over when done and place them in a buttered sauté-pan, cover them with white stock, and simmer ten minutes, drain them on a cloth and dress in crown upon a small border of toasted bread; you have previously pounded all the flesh from the legs with the trail in a mortar, pass through a sieve, and put it in a stewpan with ten spoonfuls of game sauce (No. 60) made from the bones, boil until thick, keeping it stirred, then take it off the fire and stir in the yolks of two eggs very quickly, stir another minute over the fire to thicken, and dress in the middle of the dish as high as possible, sauce over with a demi-glace de gibier (No. 61) and serve.

No. 905. _Filets de Bécasses à la Talleyrand._

Roast four woodcocks, fillet them, cover each fillet with forcemeat as in the last, poach them the same, have eight croutons of bread the same size as the fillets, and the thickness of a five-shilling-piece, pound the trails from the woodcocks in a mortar, season them lightly, and mix them with the yolk of one egg, spread it upon the croutons (which you have previously fried), give them the shape of a dome, put them ten minutes in the oven, salamander a light colour, make a thin border of mashed potatoes on your dish, dress the fillets half way round, then the croutons, put a pint of game sauce (No. 60) in a stewpan with six spoonfuls of consommé, reduce till it adheres to the back of the spoon, then add six middling-sized truffles chopped very fine with a little sugar, sauce over and serve.

No. 906. _Filets de Bécasses à l’Impérial._

Roast five woodcocks, fillet as usual, surround each fillet with the forcemeat, and poach as before, dress them on a small border of mashed potatoes, and place a fine dressed cockscomb warmed in a little stock between each, sauce over with a sauce velouté de gibier (No. 58) and serve.

No. 907. _Turban de Bécasses aux champignons._

Roast five woodcocks, cut them in halves, and dress them in crown, breasts upwards, upon a border of mashed potatoes; put a pint of demi-glace de gibier (No. 61) in a stewpan, reduce it, then add forty very fine blanched mushrooms, with two spoonfuls of thin liquor, boil two minutes, then add a little salt, sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and two pats of butter, take it off the fire, shake it round till the butter is melted, sauce over and serve.

No. 908. _Salmi de Bécasses._

Roast three woodcocks underdone, and when cold cut them into neat pieces, that is, two wings, two legs, and the breasts; chop the trails from the interior very fine and spread them upon six croutons of fried bread in the shape of fillets, place them in the oven three minutes, and salamander lightly; make a game sauce with the bones as directed (No. 60), when you have reduced it to a good consistency, put in the pieces of woodcocks, cover the stewpan, stand it in the bain marie till they are quite hot, then build them up as high as possible on your dish, dress the croutons round, sauce over and serve; truffles or mushrooms may be added to the sauce.

No. 909. _Salmi de Bécasses à la Joinville._

Roast two woodcocks underdone, cut them up and proceed exactly as in the last, make ten quenelles de gibier (No. 123), poach them, lay them on a cloth to drain, egg over with a paste-brush, and roll them in chopped ham and truffles, place them in a dish, which put in the hot closet with the cover over for half an hour, then put a border of mashed potatoes upon your dish, dress the quenelles in crown with the woodcocks in the centre and over, as elevated as possible, sauce over with a demi-glace de gibier, dress the croutons round and serve.

No. 910. _Entrée de Bécasses à la Comtesse._

Roast your woodcocks in vegetables, separate the breasts from the legs, take off the flesh from the legs and pound it in a mortar with the trails, make a purée as for the filets à la Lucullus, then have ready a croustade of bread two inches high, rather oval, and fluted round, not too large for the dish, make an incision round the top a quarter of an inch from the edge, fry a nice colour, scoop out the top, place it on your dish, pour in the purée; you have kept the breasts hot in a stewpan in the bain marie, dress them over the purée with the points to meet in the centre, place two fine dressed cockscombs warmed in the sauce between each breast, and a quenelle upon the top, sauce over with a demi-glace de gibier (No. 61) and serve.

No. 911. _Bécasses à la Périgord._

Roast three woodcocks nicely before a sharp fire, put a piece of toasted bread under them whilst roasting to catch the trails, when done cut the toast into three pieces, diamond shapes, place them in your dish and place the woodcocks upon them, their tails to meet in the centre of the dish, sauce over as for filets à la Talleyrand (No. 905) and serve.

No. 912. _Bécasses à l’essence._

Roast three woodcocks as in the last, dish them the same, and serve with a sauce à l’essence made from some bones or remains of woodcock, as directed (No. 60).

No. 913. _Bécasses à la Financière._

Proceed precisely as in the last, but adding ten blanched mushrooms, ten fine dressed cockscombs, ten small quenelles (No. 123) of game, and as many slices of truffles to the sauce.

No. 914. _Bécasses à la purée._

Roast three woodcocks as before, having previously roasted one, with which make a purée as directed (No. 59), sauce round and serve.

915. _Snipes or Bécassines._

Snipes may be dressed in any way as directed for the woodcocks, but being much smaller you cut them in halves instead of filleting them, dress round to form a crown, only you require more of them.

No. 916. _Plovers._

Plovers, like other game, require to be kept a short time before they are cooked; they are dressed similar to woodcocks, although not quite so recherché; when well dressed they are very delicious.

No. 917. _Filets de Pluviers à la Marie Antoinette._

Roast eight plovers well wrapped up in thin slices of bacon, and tied up in paper; when done leave them to get cold in the bacon, then cut out the fillets as for woodcocks, and stick the pilon of the leg at the point of each fillet; let a piece of the bacon remain over each fillet, egg and bread-crumb twice over, and fry them a nice colour in salad oil; chop up the legs, bones, and trimmings of the birds, and put them in a stewpan with a glass of sherry, an onion in slices, and a little raw ham minced; place it on the fire a couple of minutes, then add a pint and a half of good white stock; place it again on the fire, and let it simmer half an hour, skim, and pass it through a cloth into another stewpan, reduce to a thin glaze, then mix a little arrow-root with three spoonfuls of white stock and the juice of half a lemon, pour it into the sauce, keeping it stirred till boiling, dress the fillets in crown on a circle of mashed potatoes, sauce round, and serve very hot and crisp.

No. 918. _Filets de Pluviers aux truffes._

Proceed with the fillets exactly as in the last, make ten croutons of bread, upon which put the trail, see woodcocks (No. 905), dress the fillets round alternately with the croutons, put a pint and a half of demi-glace de gibier (No. 61), and a gill of consommé in a stewpan, reduce to half, then add six middling-sized truffles in slices, and a little sugar, sauce over and serve.

No. 919. _Filets de Pluviers aux champignons._

Proceed exactly as in the last, only using mushrooms instead of truffles.

No. 920. _Fillets de Pluviers à la Régence._

Roast three plovers in bacon as before, and when done have three larded lambs’ sweetbreads nicely cooked, dress them alternately on a border of mashed potatoes in a ring, put half a pint of demi-glace de gibier (No. 61) in a stewpan, boil it a minute, then add twelve stoned French olives, season with a little sugar, sauce in the centre, glaze the sweetbreads, and serve.

No. 921. _Pâté chaud des Pluviers._

Make a paste as directed for pâté chaud, see Flancs (No. 618), build up a crust with the hand or in a small round mould to match your dish, then fillet twelve plovers, season them with a little pepper, salt, and chopped eschalots, cut some thin slices of fat bacon, with which line the interior of your crust, which has stood a good hour after building to get firm, lay the fillets round, placing a thin slice of fat bacon between each; the pâté must not be more than three inches in height when filled; add four spoonfuls of game sauce, and a few raw mushrooms, cover with a thin sheet of the paste, and ornament the exterior to your fancy, forming a lid with a round piece of puff paste (No. 1132); bake it an hour and a half in a moderate oven, take off the lid and as much fat as possible from the top, add half a pint of game sauce (No. 60) quite hot, and serve either with or without the lid.

No. 922. _Quails._

The climate of this country is far from being advantageous for these delicate birds, which migrate even from France at the end of the autumn; the quails in this country must be fed in confinement to fatten, before they are fit to be eaten, which destroys much of that beautiful flavour they possess in France, where they feed in their native vineyards.

No. 923. _Cailles en macédoine de légumes aux feuilles de vignes._

Truss eight quails, fold each one up in a vine-leaf, and then in a thin slice of bacon, run a skewer through them sideways, which tie upon the spit; then have some vegetables of all kinds, cut up in thin slices, which moisten with a little oil, have then some sheets of paper, upon which lay the vegetables, lay the quails on the spit over them, breasts downwards, cover well with the vegetables, fold the paper round, and tie them up; roast from twenty-five to thirty minutes before a sharp fire; you have prepared a border of vegetables as for Chartreuse (No. 604), but not to stand more than two inches in height; fill it with stewed cabbage and boiled French beans, turn it out on your dish, and dress the quails upon it, their tails towards the centre and their breasts outside; make a pyramid of boiled green peas on the top, and serve a white jardinière sauce (No. 98) round.

No. 924. _Cailles aux petits pois._

Proceed exactly as above with the quails, but make the stand entirely of green peas nicely boiled; have ready a pint of stewed peas (No. 1077) with which you have put the quails a few minutes, fill the centre with them, dress the quails round as above, and pour the remainder of the peas in the dish.

No. 925. _Turban des Cailles à la Financière._

Roast eight quails in vegetables, but without the vine-leaf and bacon, make a border of forcemeat as for ris de veau à la Turque (No. 673), stand it in your dish, then make a ragout financière (No. 50), but using game sauce instead of brown sauce; put your quails five minutes in the sauce, then dress them round on the border of forcemeat; garniture in the centre, sauce over, and serve.

No. 926. _Turban des Cailles aux concombres._

Roast seven quails as before, cut each one in halves lengthwise, have also fourteen pieces of cucumbers the same size, stewed as No. 103, dress them alternately with the halves of quails upon a border of mashed potatoes, and serve with a sauce à la purée de concombres (No. 105) in the centre.

No. 927. _Turban de Cailles à la purée de truffes._

Proceed as above, using ten quails instead of seven, and serving with a purée de truffes (No. 53), omit the cucumbers.

No. 928. _Quails for Vol-au-vents, or Pâté chaud._

Roast and cut them in halves if for vol-au-vents, put them in a white financière sauce (No. 50), but if for pâtés chauds, in a brown financière twenty minutes before serving.

No. 929. _Cotelettes des Pigeonneaux à la Parisienne._

Procure six large pigeons, fillet and form them into cotelettes (see cotelettes de perdreaux, No. 885), stuff with a little forcemeat of fowl, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry a light yellow colour in oil; fry also twelve croutons of bread the size and shape of the cotelettes, and dress them alternately upon a border of mashed potatoes, to form a crown; sauce with a purée de concombres (No. 105) made brown instead of white, and serve, glazing the cotelettes lightly.

No. 930. _Cotelettes des Pigeonneaux à la Financière._

Proceed as in the last, only serving with a ragout à la financière (No. 50) instead of the purée.

No. 931. _Cotelettes des Pigeonneaux aux pois verts._

Proceed as before, and serve with a pint of green peas, prepared as for cotelettes de mouton aux pois (No. 713). They may also be served with a sauce aux truffes (No. 51), Italienne (No. 30), jardinière (No. 100), or sauce piquante (No. 27).

No. 932. _Cotelettes des Pigeonneaux à la Suliman._

Prepare the cotelettes as usual, season them well with chopped parsley, do. eschalots, and a little pepper and salt; procure a pig’s caul, cut into twelve pieces, in each of which fold a cotelette, place them in a sauté-pan, and fry them in oil a nice colour, but rather underdone; dress on a border of plain boiled rice, which you have made hot and seasoned with a little salt and pepper, and moistened with a piece of butter; serve very hot with a sauce à l’Indienne (No. 45) in the centre.

No. 933. _Turban of Larks à la Parisienne._

Larks when in good order and fat are excellent for entrées. Bone eighteen fine ones with a penknife, lay a little forcemeat of game (No. 123), in the interior of each, with a few fillets of truffles, sew them with packthread, giving them their first shape as near as possible; cover the bottom of a stewpan with thin slices of fat bacon, then lay in the larks, which again cover with sheets of fat bacon; add a few vegetables of each sort in slices, with a bunch of parsley, two glasses of Madeira wine, and half a pint of consommé; cover the stewpan, and place it in a moderate oven; when the birds feel tender they are done; take them out, and lay them on a dish; lay another dish over, and press them lightly till cold; pass the stock they were cooked in through a cloth into a stewpan, and skim off all the fat; use it with the bones of the larks to make a sauce (No. 60); when the sauce is of a proper consistence, add twenty small quenelles (No. 120), put it in the bain-marie to keep hot, pull all the packthread from the larks, and put them in a stewpan with a little consommé, warm them gently, have ready a border of forcemeat as for turban de cailles (No. 925), dress the larks in crown upon it, garniture in the centre, sauce over, and serve.

No. 934. _Turban of Larks aux fines herbes._

Proceed with the larks as in the last, dress them on a border of forcemeat, and make the sauce the same; put a tablespoonful of chopped onions in a stewpan, with half a one of oil, fry a light yellow colour, keeping them stirred; add one of parsley and two of chopped mushrooms, with which mix a quarter of one of flour, and twelve of the sauce; stir it over the fire twenty minutes, season with a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg, take it off the fire, and stir in the yolk of an egg very quickly; pour all over the larks, let them get cold, egg and bread-crumb over, and place them twenty minutes in a moderate oven, salamander a nice colour and sauce as in the last, omitting the quenelles, and pouring round instead of over; serve very hot.

No. 935. _Turban of Larks aux quenelles._

Prepare eight larks as for à la Parisienne; have also prepared eight quenelles de gibier (No. 123) of the same size as the larks, dress them alternately upon a border of mashed potatoes, and serve with a sauce au fumée de gibier (No. 60) over.

No. 936. _Pâté Chaud de Mauviettes._

Prepare a crust as for the pâté chaud de pluviers, bone twenty-four larks, stuff them with forcemeat, but do not sew them, fold a slice of fat bacon round each, fill your pâté, and proceed exactly as in No. 623.

No. 937. _Pâté Chaud de Mauviettes gratiné._

Proceed as above, but when you have filled the pâté have half a pound of forcemeat (No. 120), with which mix some chopped eschalots, do. parsley, and do. mushrooms; cover all over the larks, and again cover that with slices of fat bacon; bake an hour and a half; when done take off the lid, and the fat bacon, salamander the forcemeat a nice brown, and serve with some clear strong consommé (in which you have boiled the bones of the larks reduced to a demi-glaze), poured over.

No. 938. _Vol-au-vent de Mauviettes._

Bone twelve or eighteen larks according to the size of your vol-au-vent, which you have previously made (see No. 1137), stuff them lightly, place a leg-bone in the breast of each, and form them in the shape of a pear; place them in a stewpan covered with slices of fat bacon, add a glass of sherry, with a little stock and a few vegetables, stew them gently one hour, then in another stewpan have a pint of sauce velouté de gibier made as directed (No. 58) from the bones of the larks; take the larks out of the braise, drain them on a cloth, then put them into the sauce, with ten blanched mushrooms; when hot fill the vol-au-vent, and serve directly.

OF THE ROASTS FOR SECOND COURSE.

In London the poultry and game are sent in so nicely prepared for cooking that any remark upon the method of killing, plucking, and drawing them would appear almost unnecessary, but remembering the manner that I have seen poultry and game mutilated in some parts of the country, I have been induced to give the following simple directions.

The best way of killing poultry is to take the bird by the neck, placing the thumb of the right hand just at the back of the head, closing the head in your hand, your left hand holding the bird, then press your thumb down hard and pull the head and neck contrariwise, the neck will break instantaneously, and the bird will be quite dead in a few seconds, when hang it a short time by the legs for the blood to flow into the head, which renders the flesh much whiter. In France we usually kill them by cutting the throat close to the head; both methods are good with regard to the whiteness of the flesh, but I prefer the English method, not being so barbarous.

To pluck either game or poultry have the bird upon a board with its head towards you, and pull the feathers away from you, which is the direction they lay in; many persons pull out the feathers in a contrary direction, by which means they are likely to tear the skin to pieces, which would very much disfigure the bird for the table.

To draw poultry after it is well plucked, cut a long incision at the back of the neck, cut the neck bone off close to the body of the bird, but leave the skin a good length over, then take out the thin skin from under the outer with the crop, cut an incision under the tail just large enough for the gizzard to pass through, no larger, then put your finger into the bird at the breast and detach all the intestines, squeeze the body of the bird and force out the whole from the incision at the tail; it is then ready for trussing, the method of doing which will be given in the various receipts throughout this series. The above method of drawing poultry is equally applicable to game.

To make a gravy for roasts well butter the bottom of a convenient-sized stewpan, upon which lay three onions in thick slices, over which lay a few slices of lean bacon and three pounds of lean beef; place it over a good fire and add two cloves and six peppercorns, with a few sprigs of parsley; when the onions begin to brown stir the meat round with a wooden spoon, keeping the onions still at the bottom, stir occasionally until the onions are well browned but not burnt, then fill up with two quarts of water and half an ounce of salt; when boiling place it at the corner of the fire, skim and let it simmer an hour, skim again, pass it through a cloth into a basin and use when required.

The simplicity of roasting is so generally known by all classes of cooks that but very little attention is often paid to it; the simplicity of the arrangement for roasting being such as with many to leave it to attend to itself; but I shall here in a very few words show my readers the facility of roasting well and with little trouble, which I consider of the greatest importance, especially in a dinner-party where, after the entrées have been well degusted, nothing refreshes the palate or disposes it better for the second course than a fillet or cut from the fillet of a well-roasted capon, chicken, or some description of game, but if badly roasted it would lose its effect.

In roasting much depends upon the fire which requires to be solid and to throw out a great heat, as it is always easy to keep anything a good distance from it, but a bad fire would be the destruction of anything placed before it, for if you had a couple of good fowls or a brace of birds, and were to put one down before a slow fire and the other before a brisk, you would be so astonished at the difference in flavour that did you not know different you would declare that one was of an inferior quality; I am also very much against the improper manner of basting, which would give any birds or poultry the appearance of having been first roasted and afterwards stewed; I have never during the last six years suffered any bird to be basted in my kitchen with the exception of rubbing a piece of butter over the breast of poultry or game as soon as the skin becomes set; any kind of game or poultry is done when you perceive a great smoke arising from it, and if not taken up immediately you lose the flavour and the bird its appearance, for instead of going to table nice and plump it will present a mean and shrivelled object, loudly bespeaking the cook’s inattention, unless it has been kept in a screen or hot closet, by the party having kept the dinner waiting.

By following the above simple method great benefit will be derived in this simple branch of the art, but the most universally useful, for I think we may say without hesitation that near two thirds of our animal and volatile food is daily roasted, which has made me so desirous of impressing the necessity of attention, which is all that is required to roast well.

No. 939. _Roast Turkey au Cresson._

For second course a turkey should be very small and well trussed, the breast thrown out, the sinews of the legs cut and the feet chopped off, run a skewer through the pinion of the right wing, passing it beneath the thigh-bones and through the pinion of the left wing, run your spit through the body, passing it between the skewer and the back-bone, and tie the legs upon a rest (made by folding a thick piece of carrot about two inches long and one broad in buttered paper) upon the spit to keep the legs upon a level with the thighs; have a good clear fire, put down the turkey at a short distance from it, five minutes after it is down rub it over the breast a minute with a piece of butter which being hard and cold you have pressed into a large wooden spoon, (made with a very long handle, by which means you can rub it over the bird whilst turning without approaching too near the fire,) about a quarter of a pound would be sufficient for six or eight; then place it a little further back, (according to the heat and size of your fire,) the butter will form a froth over it; if the skin should blister you must put it still further from the fire, keep it of a nice gold colour, and when done serve with gravy in the dish and garnish with nice fresh water-cresses.

A turkey weighing five pounds will require about three quarters of an hour to roast, and so on in proportion, but one of that size is quite large enough for a roast second course; but if before a small fire an hour and a quarter, or if a larger turkey an hour and twenty minutes.

No. 940. _Turkey Barded._

Truss a turkey as described in the last, have a square piece of fat bacon the eighth of an inch in thickness and large enough to cover the breast, upon which tie it with packthread; roast and serve as in the last, taking away the packthread but leaving the bacon; it will require a little longer to roast as the bacon prevents the fillets from being done so soon.

No. 941. _Turkey Larded._

Lard the breast of a young turkey as you would a noix de veau (No. 565), (only cut the bacon finer), to facilitate the larding, dip the breast in a stewpan of boiling water, or pass it a minute over the flame of a charcoal fire to set the skin to the flesh, place it down to roast but do not butter it over the larded part; serve with gravy and water-cresses in a dish as before.

No. 942. _Dindonneau truffé à la Périgord._

This dish is sometimes served as a roast in the second course, but very seldom in this country. Proceed exactly as for the remove (No. 524), but choose a very small turkey, for what would look noble in the first course would appear vulgar in the second.

No. 943. _Dindonneau farci._

Have a young turkey, but do not let its weight exceed six pounds, have ready one pound of veal forcemeat with which mix six truffles in small dice and half a pound of fat livers previously blanched, season well, then stuff the breast and interior of the turkey, fasten the skin over to the backbone, (but not too tight,) with a packing-needle and string, and roast in vegetables as for the removes; about a quarter of an hour before it is finished take the vegetables from it, and place it closer to the fire to take a nice gold colour; serve with a little gravy in the dish. It will require one hour to roast.

No. 944. _Roast Turkey à l’Anglaise._

Have a young turkey, stuff the breast with some veal stuffing (No. 127), roast it plain as directed, and serve with a little gravy and water-cresses; a few small country sausages broiled very crisp should be handed round the table.

No. 945. _Turkey Poults._

Turkey poults, so called from being used when about the size of a large poulet, are trussed with the legs turned at the knuckle and the feet pressing upon the thighs, the neck is skinned and the head fixed under the wing; roast them the same as directed for turkeys, about twenty-five minutes or half an hour, according to their size, and in the same modes, but they are usually served, one larded and the other barded, with gravy and water-cresses in the dish.

No. 946. _Chapon rôti au cresson._

Roast and serve a capon in any of the ways directed for turkeys, roast of a nice gold colour and serve with water-cresses round; a capon weighing five pounds requires about three quarters of an hour to roast. Poularde au cresson exactly as above.

No. 947. _Poularde à la Demidoff._

Put a pint and a half of sauce béchamel (No. 7) in a stewpan, place it over the fire and reduce until becoming thick, keeping it stirred, then add twenty dressed cockscombs and twelve small French truffles, season with a little pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg, take it off the fire and stir in two yolks of eggs very quickly, stir it another minute over the fire to set, and put it away to get cold, then have a nice poularde trussed with the legs turned inside, cutting off the feet, which stick into the apertures where you turned in the legs, fix them in with string and a packing-needle, as also the legs and wings, using no skewers, and giving the poularde a handsome appearance, take out the breast-bone, stuff the poularde with the above preparation, roast it in vegetables as for the removes; when nearly done take away the vegetables and give it a nice colour; have ready the following sauce: put a pint and a half of white veal stock in a stewpan, with six spoonfuls of bechamel sauce, and reduce it to a white demi-glace, then add a little sugar and four spoonfuls of good cream; sauce round and serve.

No. 948. _Poularde rôti à la Stäel._

Roast a nice poularde in vegetables as above, when nearly done take away the vegetables, let it turn a few minutes before the fire, then rub it all over with butter, have some bread-crumbs and flour mixed together in a flour-box, which shake over the poularde by degrees whilst roasting, it will form a white crust over, take it up and serve with a demi-glace de volaille (No. 6) under.

No. 949. _Poulet rôti._

For a dinner of four entrées you would require two fowls, but not too large, truss and roast them as directed for a turkey, judging the time required according to their size, serve with gravy and watercresses; they may be larded, barded, or served in any way mentioned in the foregoing receipts; a fowl weighing two pounds and a half would require half an hour roasting, or three quarters of an hour if larger.

No. 950. _Spring Chickens._

Are served like fowls, generally plain roasted, but they may be larded or dressed à la Stäel (No. 948) as the poularde. Be particular in tying the legs upon paper to the spit, as directed for the turkey, as it so improves their appearance when roasted. About twenty-five minutes would be sufficient to roast them.

No. 951. _Spring Chickens à la Forrester._

Truss them as directed for poularde (No. 947), but roast them quite plain, not very brown; have two good handfuls of very fresh water-cresses, pick off all the stalks, and one of small salad mixed well together, and completely cover the chickens with it, serve a little gravy on the dish with some separate, and a boat of bread sauce.

No. 952. _Geese._

A green goose roasted plain and served with a little gravy is generally sent up for second courses; but if the larger ones are used they must be stuffed with sage and onions, but very few would choose such a thing for a roast second course, whilst green geese in their season are great favourites, truss them by cutting off the leg at the knuckle, and the wing at the first pinion, fixing them at the side with skewers to throw the breast up; a full-grown goose will take one hour to roast, but a green one not more than half an hour.

No. 953. _Ducklings._

Make a very favourite roast in the London season, they must have good fillets, white and plump, and require to be a little more underdone than any other description of poultry; if too much done the fat catches and gives a rank flavour to the flesh, besides causing the fillets to eat dry, they are usually served plain roasted for a second course, but I have served them differently upon some occasions for the sake of variety, but it must be with a very thin sauce and one that invigorates the palate, although they never can be better than when served plain roasted, I shall here give one or two deviations; truss them by twisting the legs at the knuckles and resting the feet upon the thighs, cut the wing off at the first pinion, and run a skewer through the bird, fixing the pinion and legs with it, place them upon a spit and roast twenty minutes.

No. 954. _Canetons au vin de Madère._

Roast them plain, but just before they are done shake a little potato-flour over them mixed with a little common flour, dress them on your dish, and have ready the following sauce: put three spoonfuls of chopped olives and one of chopped eschalots in a stewpan with two glasses of Madeira wine, reduce it a minute, then add half a pint of demi-glace (No. 9) with a little cayenne, sugar, and six spoonfuls of consommé, reduce it till it adheres lightly to the back of the spoon, then add the juice of half a lemon, sauce under and serve.

No. 955. _Canetons au jus d’orange._

Roast two ducklings plain, and serve with a sauce au jus d’orange (No. 17) over.

No. 956. _Canetons au jus d’eschalotte._

Roast as in the last and serve with a sauce au jus d’eschalotte (No. 16) under.

No. 957. _Guinea Fowls._

These birds must be very young, for being naturally very dry, they are not eatable if more than twelve months old; they are generally larded or barded, and served plain roasted, rather well-done, they are trussed like the common fowls, and require nearly three quarters of an hour to roast.

No. 958. _Pea Fowls._

These magnificent birds make a noble roast, and when young are very excellent, they are larded, plain roasted, and served with the tail stuck into them, which you have preserved, the head with its feathers being left folded up in paper and tucked under the wing; roast about an hour and a half, take the paper from the head and neck, dress it upon your dish with water-cresses and a border of tulips or roses round, and the gravy separate in a boat.

In large families where these volatile demi-gods are plentiful, I would recommend them to have one of the finest peacock’s tails mounted in silver, and made to easily fix upon the dish, by means of a slide, in which the fowl is served, it would look splendid upon table, and remind us of the ancient Roman banquets, where Lucullus, Tiberius, and Horace used to feast and sing their love.

No. 959. _Pigeons_

Are trussed as a fowl to roast, and served plain roasted, with a little gravy in the dish, or roasted with a vine-leaf upon the breast, over which you have tied a square piece of bacon, they will take a quarter of an hour to roast, but serve them with the bacon and leaf over; my new way of cooking them is to cut up a head or two of celery into very thin layers, lay some on the breast of each, and tie pieces of fat bacon over, roast and serve with a little gravy as usual; this method has been much approved of.

No. 960. _Quails._

Eight quails are sufficient for a dish, they should be killed if possible forty-eight hours before dressing, draw and truss them by cutting off the wings at the first pinion, leaving the feet, and fixing the pinion of the wing and legs with a very small skewer; cover the breasts with vine-leaves, over which tie a thin square slice of fat bacon, then pass a long skewer through the pinions and thighs of each, tie them on a spit and roast them nearly twelve minutes at a convenient distance from a sharp fire of a nice gold colour, serve with a little gravy in the dish.

No. 961. _Cailles à l’Eloise._

Prepare eight quails with the bacon and vine-leaves as before, then have a pig’s caul, cut it into eight square pieces and fold a quail in each, roast them a minute longer than in the last, and serve with a very thin sauce béchamel (No. 7) which you have finished with a spoonful of whipped cream under.

No. 962. _Pheasants_

For second course are usually served plain, you require two of them for a dish in a four entrée dinner, truss them the same as a fowl, leaving the head and neck on, which skin, and fix round at the side with the skewer you have fixed the wing and legs with; a middling-sized one will take about half an hour before a brisk fire, they are also good larded, or one larded and the other barded.

No. 963. _Faisans à la Galitzine._

Roast a couple of pheasants, and when done cut the breasts in slices without detaching them; put six spoonfuls of consommé of game in a stewpan, with a piece of glaze the size of a walnut, boil two minutes, then add two pats of butter, a little cayenne pepper, and the juice of half a lemon, pour over and serve.

No. 964. _Grouse_

Are generally served plain roasted upon a piece of toast, with gravy separate in a boat; they may also be served à la Rob Roy, as directed for the Remove (No. 548), but two birds will be sufficient for a roast, truss them as you would a fowl to roast.

No. 965. _Grouse à la Bonny Lassie._

Truss them rather roughly, roast them before a brisk fire rather underdone, if young a quarter of an hour will be sufficient, and serve them upon toast, crisp and well-buttered, made from brown bread, and serve with a rather thick and boiled melted butter (No. 71) over.

Grouse may likewise be served for a change with a thin sauce à l’essence de gibier, with which you may add a few truffles or mushrooms, but this will of course much depend upon the first course, or, at least, of what the first course consists, although, as I have before stated, they are better plain roasted; yet in some parts of the country where they are plentiful a change may be desired.

_Ptarmigans_

Are Swedish birds, but many are found in Scotland, much of the same species as grouse, and are very plentiful about the month of February; they are dressed precisely in the same way as the grouse. A curious anecdote of the celebrated Charles the Twelfth, relating to what he used to call a fête, or repas champêtre, gave me the idea of inventing the following roast, and calling it

_Ptarmigan à la Charles the Twelfth._

Kill them by accident, pluck them immediately, draw them, and save the feathers and interior, put three guns in bivouac, and hang the ptarmigans on one side with string or green twigs, light a wood fire beneath, upon which put the feathers and interior, let remain, turning them the whole time, till done, and serve them au naturel, with a good bit of salt sprinkled over them; many people would object to this method, but the flavour is excellent to a scientific palate, and more so to a hungry stomach.

The anecdote is as follows: crossing a mountain in Sweden with a small part of his army, the King was unexpectedly attacked by a numerous body of Russians, and a skirmish took place, but the King was as usual victorious; having lost several of his _braves_, a search was made for them in the heather, where they found one hundred and fifty-one killed and thirty wounded, being fifteen of the enemy, two Swedish officers, one lieutenant, seven privates, one hundred and thirty ptarmigans, and twenty-five black cocks, all killed by accident, the birds were, by command of his Majesty, plucked and roasted, to the no small satisfaction of his troops, who were short of provisions at the time; so great was the treat that they hoped his Majesty would often repeat the fête champêtre.

No. 966. _Black Cocks and Grey Hens._

These birds, like pheasants, must be well kept; they are excellent eating, and are usually served plain roasted, trussed like grouse, but may be served à la Stockholm as follows: lard one side of the breast, and cover the other side with vine-leaves and fat bacon, which tie on, roast from half to three quarters of an hour according to the size, and serve with toast under, and gravy in the dish.

No. 967. _Partridges_

Make a very nice roast, truss them in the same manner as directed for grouse, obtain them young if possible, the old ones although not the best for stewing eat much better dressed that way; four will be sufficient for a roast, put them upon the spit, and when the first course goes to table place them before a sharp fire fifteen minutes, or according to the size, and serve with a gill of clear gravy upon the dish and bread sauce in a boat; you may also lard or bard them with fat bacon, or lard two and bard two, allowing them a little longer to roast, it will give them a very nice appearance.

No. 968. _Dun Birds_

Are very seldom sent to table, but plain roasted is the usual way, and a little or no improvement can be made; serve them in a dish with gravy and a lemon separate, not too much underdone.

No. 969. _Wild Ducks and Pintails._

Must not be too old, they require keeping two or three days or longer before they are dressed; they are trussed by twisting each leg at the knuckle, and resting the claws on each side of the breast, fixing them with a skewer run through the thighs and pinion of the wings (No. 953), rub the liver over the breasts, and roast them from fifteen to twenty minutes rather brown, serve three for a roast, as the breast is the only part eatable, a little gravy on the dish and lemons separate.

No. 970. _Wild Ducks à la Chasseur._

Truss them as before, rub the liver over, and roast underdone, cut the breast in slices without detaching them, catch the gravy that escapes in a sauté-pan, add a piece of glaze the size of a walnut, place it on the fire, and when hot add four pats of butter, half a glass of port wine, a little mignonette, pepper, and the juice of half a lemon, shake altogether over the fire, and when the butter is melted sauce over and serve. Although I have directed that they should be roasted underdone they must have no appearance of rawness.

No. 971. _Widgeons_

Require but very little keeping before they are dressed, if well roasted they are nearly equal to the wild duck, and are served the same; it requires rather more than a quarter of an hour to roast them to perfection.

No. 972. _Teal_

Make a beautiful roast as well as entrée, and when in good order are very delicious, after a frost they are generally very fat; truss them with care, leaving the breast the same as ducklings, six will be sufficient for a dish, keep them a very light brown colour and rather crisp, serve with a little gravy and water-cresses, if approved of, serve lemon separate; these birds being tender are easily cut in halves by the carver, to one half of which he can assist each guest; they will require about eight minutes roasting.

No. 973. _Teal au jus d’orange._

Roast as above, and serve with a sauce au jus d’orange (No. 17) over them, or they may be served with a sauce au jus de bigarade (No. 18), or a demi-glace de gibier (No. 61).

No. 974. _Plovers_

Are good when well kept, and excellent as a roast, truss, but do not draw them, and put six on a skewer, set some toast underneath to catch the trail which may escape from them whilst roasting, about ten minutes is sufficient; cut the toast in diamond shapes, place them in your dish with the plovers over, and gravy separate in a boat, they may also be served barded with the vine-leaf as for pigeons or quails, but the bacon must be very thin, and when roasted quite crisp, black plovers are dressed in the same way, but the golden ones are the most delicate.

No. 975. _Of the Woodcock._

These birds are one of the greatest luxuries, they must not be too fresh or too stale when dressed; they are fit for cooking when they look black between the legs and the feathers become rather loose; pluck and truss them with the legs twisted at the knuckles and the feet pressing upon the thighs; bring the pinion of the wing to the thigh, you have previously skinned the head and neck, bring the beak round under the wing, which pass through the pinions of the wings and thighs, place about four upon a skewer, tie them upon a spit and roast them from ten to fifteen minutes before a sharp fire with a piece of toasted bread beneath to catch the trail that falls from them; when done cut the toast in diamond shapes, each piece large enough to stand a bird upon, dress them slantwise on your dish with gravy sufficient to lightly moisten the toast, and some separate in a boat; they may also be barded with a piece of bacon tied over the breast not too thick, but they will require rather longer to roast. The beak may be made to form the skewer.

No. 976. _Woodcocks à la Stäel._

Truss as before, put them down to roast, when down two minutes rub butter over, and shake flour gently but continually over them till done, it will give them quite a new appearance, and are by many preferred to plain roasted; serve them on a toast as before.

No. 977. _Woodcocks à la fumée de Gibier._

Roast as before and serve with a sauce fumée de gibier (No. 60), which you have finished with a pat of butter. Although I recommend that this delicate bird should be served plain roasted, yet it may be served with advantage as above directed.

No. 978. _Woodcocks à la Piedmontaise._

Roast as before then cut four large truffles in slices, fry them a few minutes in oil, then pour off the oil, add ten tablespoonfuls of sauce fumée de gibier and a little sugar, boil altogether two minutes, dress the birds on toast, sauce over and serve.

No. 979. _Larks_

Are very delicious little birds, about twelve or fifteen are sufficient for a dish; they are usually roasted plain, or with a thin slice of fat bacon tied over them, and served with a little gravy in the dish and crumbs of fried bread round; they require about eight minutes to roast them well.

No. 980. _Snipes_

Are somewhat similar to woodcocks, and dressed exactly the same, but you require eight or ten for a dish; they do not require more than ten minutes roasting.

No. 981. _Hares._

One is sufficient for a roast, skin and truss it nicely, stuff the belly with a good veal stuffing, sew it up, then put it on the spit, rub butter over the back and shake flour over it, roast it about forty minutes before a sharp fire, but that depends upon the size of course; serve them with plain gravy in the dish and currant jelly separate. They are also served with a sauce poivrade (No. 32), or sauce au jus d’groseilles (No. 36), they may also be larded.

No. 982. _Leverets_

Are plain roasted and do not require stuffing, nor so long roasting being smaller; they are usually served with plain gravy, but may be served with either of the sauces mentioned in the last; you require two for a roast. They will take from twenty-five to thirty minutes roasting.

No. 983. _Rabbits._