My mother's cook book

The birds should hang in a cool place at least three days after being shot, when they should be plucked, singed and drawn, and wiped outside and inside with a clean cloth. Sprinkle them each then thoroughly inside with the pepper, divide the butter into four equal parts and place one of these inside each as well. Place the birds then side by side in a baking pan and putting this into a quick oven, let all bake for half an hour. When the grouse are roasted, arrange some slices of buttered toast upon a platter, place the birds upon these, and pouring over them the gravy from the pan serve very hot. Bread sauce should be served with roast birds. See page 165. Canvass-back Duck. — ^One pair of canvass-back duck, one-quarter of a pound of butter, one teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper. Carefully pluck, draw and singe the fowls, wash them slightly, and dry them in and outside with a' towel. Sprinkle inside of each the pepper and salt, sp^read the butter well over the breasts, and placing them side by side upon a dripping pan, bake in a very quick hot oven fifteen minutes. The blood should follow the knife when carved, if the duck be properly cooked. Cut into slices some cold boiled hominy, fry them to a light brown in butter, and arranging these upon a platter serve the fowl upon this with an accompaniment of currant jelly. Reed Birds. — Six reed birds, one-half pound of fat bacon, one dessert spoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper. When the birds are plucked, singed and drawn they should be carefully cleansed inside and out with a dry towel. Cut the bacon then into very thin slices and folding [illustration: SQUABS WITH GREEN PEAS. 75] 75 one of these slices over the breast of each bird, securing it there Vith a wrapping of twine, string the birds upon a spit with the breasts all turned the same way and broil over an open fire for twenty minutes. Serve upon a hot platter garnished with fresh sprigs of parsley or with water-cresses. Woodcock on Toast, — Two brace of woodcock, four ounces of butter, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper. When plucked and singed the woodcock should be drawn, cutting out the neck, but leaving the head which must be drawn around and the long bill passed through the legs, wings and body as a trussing skewer. Season each by rubbing a little pepper and salt inside, string them upon a spit, rub over each breast a portion of the butter, and broil the birds over an open fire for twenty minutes. The livers should now be boiled for five minutes, pounded in a mortar or chopped very finely, and this paste being spread over two slices of butter toast, the toast should be placed upon a hot platter and the woodcock served thereon. Note.—Quail, snipe and larks may be served and prepared as prescribed for woodcock. Squabs -with G-reen Peas. — One pair of squabs, one pint of shelled green peas, two ounces of butter, one gill of stock, one teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper. , Pluck, singe, draw and wash the pigeons slightly in cold water. Twist the tips of the wings behind the shoulders and threading a trussing-needle with fine twine, 76 MEATS. pierce with it the first joint of the wings, passing "through the upper portion of the legs and straight through the body in doing so. Return the needle then through the tips of the wings, piercing through the skin of the neck in passing and bringing the twine thus to its point of departure, draw it taut and tie the ends firmly together. The claws should now be chopped oflF and crossing the legs tie them, neatly together, after which melt in a stewing pan two ounces of butter and when the smoke arises therefrom, put the pigeons into it breast downwards, and allow them to cook slowly for one hour, turning them from time to time, to prevent burning and in order that they may brown evenly.