In the middle of Europe it occurs as a bird of passage, spending the winter in Africa, and breeding in summer in northern latitudes or mountainous regions, such as the Alps and Pyrenees. But it travels so slowly that it is obtained for the kitchen during three months of the year. It has become much more scarce during the present century. Woodcock should be fat. It is always better during frosty weather or in autumn ; it must be kept for some time after it has been shot. It can be roasted on the spit, wrapped in slices of bacon, but must not be over-done. Some, indeed, like the bird very much underdone, and direct that it should WOODCOCK AND SNIPE AND THEIR TRAIL 505 be just introduced to the cook for her to show it the fire, and then send it up to table. We have above seen its use in the boned state as material for a galantine of pheasant ; it also yields a delicious pur4e (but for this tough birds only should be used), on which larded partridge fillets may be placed. As salmis, woodcock is raised by truffles in taste ; but its flavour always remains peculiar, and it does not agree with everybody’s digestion. Eietiuevers do not like the smell of it, and not rarely decline to bring it in. Elzear Blaze,* a noted French sportsman and cook ('1786-1848), was enthusiastic in his praise of the woodcock. Both woodcock and snipe are remarkable by the fact of the contents of their trail being eaten and considered a delicacy. Like the contents of the lobster’s stomach, the contents of the trail of these birds consist of digested animal matter, mostly paludal and terrestrial insects, worms, etc., and though a little sandy occasionally, taste, when properly spiced, like a fine farce. Some draw the trail before cooking the bird, some only when it is half cooked ; its contents are then mixed with the pounded liver and spice and mustard on a silver plate, and further treated. Either the woodcock, cut in four quarters, is placed upon this, and its roasting completed in the oven, or the mixture from the silver plate is spread over a light yellow fried croustade, and the bird is placed and sent to table on this. Woodcock is trussed for roasting by having its long thin beak run through both feet like a skewer. A sportsman's curiosity consists in roasting the bird entire, drawing it, isolating and spicing the contents of the trail, and rubbing them over the bird cut in four quarters. Each quarter, spitted on a fork, is then held over or into a flame of burning rum or spirit, and when fried handed to expectant diners. We Blaze wrote five works on the chase, one of them being a collection of sportsman’s anecdotes. 5o6 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY have, further, salmis of woodcock and snipe ; we have them with truffles, or minced in croiistades, their jillets fried in butter, braised, etc. They receive the usual conventional names, which have in them no element of fixity, and do not call for detailed notice. Scotch Woodcock, an analogue of Welsh rabbit, is a preparation of buttered toast with anchovies, eggs and cream✪ Scotch Woodcock, set over the fire, and shonld not be confounded with any preparation of real woodcock.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In the middle of Europe it occurs as a bird of passage, spending the winter in Africa, and breeding in summer in northern latitudes or mountainous regions, such as the Alps and Pyrenees. But it travels so slowly that it is obtained for the kitchen during three months of the year. It has become much more scarce during the present century. Woodcock should be fat. It is always better during frosty weather or in autumn ; it must be kept for some time after it has been shot. It can be roasted on the spit, wrapped in slices of bacon, but must not be over-done. Some, indeed, like the bird very much underdone, and direct that it should WOODCOCK AND SNIPE AND THEIR TRAIL 505 be just introduced to the cook for her to show it the fire, and then send it up to table. We have above seen its use in the boned state as material for a galantine of pheasant ; it also yields a delicious pur4e (but for this tough birds only should be used), on which larded partridge fillets may be placed. As salmis, woodcock is raised by truffles in taste ; but its flavour always remains peculiar, and it does not agree with everybody’s digestion. Dietitians do not like the smell of it, and not rarely decline to bring it in. Elzear Blaze,* a noted French sportsman and cook ('1786-1848), was enthusiastic in his praise of the woodcock. Both woodcock and snipe are remarkable by the fact of the contents of their trail being eaten and considered a delicacy. Like the contents of the lobster’s stomach, the contents of the trail of these birds consist of digested animal matter, mostly paludal and terrestrial insects, worms, etc., and though a little sandy occasionally, taste, when properly spiced, like a fine farce. Some draw the trail before cooking the bird, some only when it is half cooked ; its contents are then mixed with the pounded liver and spice and mustard on a silver plate, and further treated. Either the woodcock, cut in four quarters, is placed upon this, and its roasting completed in the oven, or the mixture from the silver plate is spread over a light yellow fried croustade, and the bird is placed and sent to table on this. Woodcock is trussed for roasting by having its long thin beak run through both feet like a skewer. A sportsman's curiosity consists in roasting the bird entire, drawing it, isolating and spicing the contents of the trail, and rubbing them over the bird cut in four quarters. Each quarter, spitted on a fork, is then held over or into a flame of burning rum or spirit, and when fried handed to expectant diners. We Blaze wrote five works on the chase, one of them being a collection of sportsman’s anecdotes. 5o6 have, further, salmis of woodcock and snipe ; we have them with truffles, or minced in croustades, their jillets fried in butter, braised, etc. They receive the usual conventional names, which have in them no element of fixity, and do not call for detailed notice. Scotch Woodcock, an analogue of Welsh rabbit, is a preparation of buttered toast with anchovies, eggs and cream, set over the fire, and should not be confounded with any preparation of real woodcock.

Records on this page

Scotch Woodcock

The spirit of cookery