The art of German cooking and baking

Preparation: The Poulard or French pheasant is cleaned, dressed, washed, dried and salted inside and outside. Bacon slices are tied over the breast and drum sticks. Roast in hot butter, adding the water, for 1 to 1% hours, a piece of butter being put inside the bird also. Baste frequently with water and cream. It should be roasted to a" nice golden brown color. Serve on a hot platter after taking off the bacon and strings. Into the drippings stir some flour, water or cream if necessary, the lemon juice, cook, strain and serve with the bird. The gravy should be smooth and of a light brown color. — 115 — No. 55— POULARD FRICASSEE. Quantity for 6 — 8 Persons. Prepare like recipe No. 10, Chicken Fricassee. It will make a very fine side-dish. No. 56— DUCK RAGOUT. Quantity for 6 Persons. 1 duck 1 cup of water 1 tbsp. of butter Salt For the Gravy. 2 tbsps. of butter 6 pepper-corns 2 tbsps. of duck grease 3 sprays of parsley 2 % tbsps. of flour 2 cloves 1 % pts. of bouillon or water % pt. of port wine Duck stock % cup of champignon juice Juice of % lemon % cup of champignon juice 3 truffles Salt % pt. champignons Preparation: The duck is cleaned, dressed, washed, salted and fried 1% to 2 hours, in 1 tablespoonful of butter and 1 cup of water, basting frequently. For the gravy, brown the flour in the 2 tablespoonfuls of butter, add the duck stock and cook a little while; then add the bouillon, red wine or port wine, champignon juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper-corns, cloves, parsley and truffle parings. Cook the gravy for 15-30 minutes, strain through a fine sieve. Cut the champignons in half and put them into the strained gravy. Carve the duck and put it into the gravy too and steep another 15 minutes. Heap the ragout in the middle of a hot platter. Put the peeled truffles which were fried in 1 teaspoonful of butter for 2 minutes, over the ragout. Garnish with puff paste scallops, (see preparation in No. 29, Chapter 3, PufFpaste Patties with Veal Ragout), and with dumplings. These are made by chopping very fine the heart, gizzard and liver, mixed well with one soaked roll, one egg, 1 tablespoonful of chopped champignons, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Saute or dry fry (which means cooking food in a small amount of fat) in % tablespoonful of butter and add % grated roll. Then form small dumplings from this mixture and fry them to a light brown in butter or duck grease. Remarks: This duck ragout is a very fine side-dish. — 116 — GAME. Game must not be soaked in water and it should be washed only when necessary and then quickly dried. The flavor of game depends greatly on its preparation, the latter makes it one of the finest dishes. Game ought to be fried and roasted ; boiled game is never as savory. Butter, bacon and cream are the best fats in whidh to fry game. Sweet-sour victuals are best to serve with game as: Red cabbage, apple sauce, currant jelly and Cumberland sauce. No. 1— ROAST SADDLE OF VENISON. Quantity for 6 — 10 Persons. 1 saddle of venison 1 pt of sour cream, good measure Salt 1 tsp. of lemon juice 1 pinch of pepper 1 % tbsps. of flour Bacon for larding % cupful water % lb. of butter Preparation : The deer, fawn or doe must hang in its skin a few days before it is cooked. The neck is cut off. The ribs are chopped off if they are too long. The skin is taken off, the meat pounded and larded closely with bacon strips ; place a thin slice of bacon under the fillets. .Fry the venison on both sides with part of the i^ lb. of butter, put the rest of the butter into the pot or pan and roast the meat 45 minutes, basting frequently with the sour cream. The roast should be pink inside and very juicy. Put it on a hot platter and prepare the gravy.