Quail are drawn unlike other birds. Pluck them very
gently, singe them with a wax taper, then make an opening at
the back of the neck, draw out the crop by gently pulling at the
head of the Quail, but leave the trail inside the bird. Some cooks,
however, remove the trail in the usual way. Truss Quail for
roasting, but cover each bird first with a fresh vine leaf and
then with a thin slice of fat bacon, so that only the ends of
the legs are exposed to the full force of the fire. The Quail
will take from eight to twelve minutes to roast, and must be
continually basted with melted butter. Quail should be trussed
on a skewer, and roasted side by side. They are best served
quite plain on squares of crisp toast, with brown gravy✪ Roasted Quail and
breadcrumbs handed. The toast should be spread with all the
butter and gravy which drips from the Quail while basting.
Quail can be cooked in a variety of ambitious ways, and
boned and elaborately stuffed, but they are never better than
when plainly served as above. For the brown gravy see
page 281.
Plover. — Plover are not drawn. Fasten bacon over the
breasts, and roast for ten or twelve minutes, basting all the
time with butter. When the birds begin to turn brown put
a square of buttered toast✪ Roasted Plover under each, (the toast must be
freshly made), and let it catch the butter and gravy from the
basting during the last five minutes of the cookiug. If the
toast remains longer in the dripping-pan it will be sodden.
Serve each Plover on its toast, and hand brown gravy.
277
GAME, VENISON, AND WILD FOWL.
When Game is bought it has to be chosen more carefully
than Poultry, partly because Game is better for a certain
amount of hanging, and partly because it is sold unplucked.
There are two tests by which the freshness of Game may be
ascertained. One of these is the condition of the eye. If,
when the eyelids are opened, the eye itself looks bright and
clear, the bird is fresh. But if the eye has sunk almost out of
sight, the bird has been dead for several days. The other test
is to pull a feather from the plumage at the lower part of the
back, above the tail. If the feather comes out very easily the
bird has been hung quite long enough. As in the case of
Poultry, the condition of the legs and feet reveal the age of
Game. Besides this, if the bird is held at arm’s length by the
lower mandible (the lower half of the beak), the mandible in a
young bird will snap across. But if the mandible will bear the
weight without breaking, the bird is undoubtedly old. A bird
which shows signs of having been badly shot should never he
bought, for the bruised and injured parts will soon become
uneatable. If such a bird is brought in fresh from the shooters,
draw and pluck it at once, cut out every bruised part, and cook
the bird as soon as possible. It is well when birds are brought
in from shooting to draw them as soon as can be managed, to
give the cavity a rinse with cold water, wipe it quite dry, and
put a piece of charcoal into it before the bird is hung up.
Woodcock and Snipe are not drawn; nor are Plover. Cock
Pheasants are easily distinguished from hen Pheasants ; in
Partridges the cocks have reddish-brown plumage on the
breast, whilst these feathers in the hen are a plain light
brown. Pheasants are always better for hanging for three or
four days ; and the same rule applies to Partridges, Grouse,
and Blackcock.
Page 191 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Quail are drawn unlike other birds. Pluck them very gently, singe them with a wax taper, then make an opening at the back of the neck, draw out the crop by gently pulling at the head of the Quail, but leave the trail inside the bird. Some cooks, however, remove the trail in the usual way. Truss Quail for roasting, but cover each bird first with a fresh vine leaf and then with a thin slice of fat bacon, so that only the ends of the legs are exposed to the full force of the fire. The Quail will take from eight to twelve minutes to roast, and must be continually basted with melted butter. Quail should be trussed on a skewer, and roasted side by side. They are best served quite plain on squares of crisp toast, with brown gravy and breadcrumbs handed. The toast should be spread with all the butter and gravy which drips from the Quail while basting. Quail can be cooked in a variety of ambitious ways, and boned and elaborately stuffed, but they are never better than when plainly served as above. For the brown gravy see page 281.
Plover. — Plover are not drawn. Fasten bacon over the breasts, and roast for ten or twelve minutes, basting all the time with butter. When the birds begin to turn brown put a square of buttered toast under each, (the toast must be freshly made), and let it catch the butter and gravy from the basting during the last five minutes of the cooking. If the toast remains longer in the dripping-pan it will be sodden. Serve each Plover on its toast, and hand brown gravy.
When Game is bought it has to be chosen more carefully than Poultry, partly because Game is better for a certain amount of hanging, and partly because it is sold unplucked. There are two tests by which the freshness of Game may be ascertained. One of these is the condition of the eye. If, when the eyelids are opened, the eye itself looks bright and clear, the bird is fresh. But if the eye has sunk almost out of sight, the bird has been dead for several days. The other test is to pull a feather from the plumage at the lower part of the back, above the tail. If the feather comes out very easily the bird has been hung quite long enough. As in the case of Poultry, the condition of the legs and feet reveal the age of Game. Besides this, if the bird is held at arm’s length by the lower mandible (the lower half of the beak), the mandible in a young bird will snap across. But if the mandible will bear the weight without breaking, the bird is undoubtedly old. A bird which shows signs of having been badly shot should never he bought, for the bruised and injured parts will soon become uneatable. If such a bird is brought in fresh from the shooters, draw and pluck it at once, cut out every bruised part, and cook the bird as soon as possible. It is well when birds are brought in from shooting to draw them as soon as can be managed, to give the cavity a rinse with cold water, wipe it quite dry, and put a piece of charcoal into it before the bird is hung up. Woodcock and Snipe are not drawn; nor are Plover. Cock Pheasants are easily distinguished from hen Pheasants ; in Partridges the cocks have reddish-brown plumage on the breast, whilst these feathers in the hen are a plain light brown. Pheasants are always better for hanging for three or four days ; and the same rule applies to Partridges, Grouse, and Blackcock.
Records on this page
Roasted QuailRoasted Plover