French dishes for American tables

331. Ragout of Venison. Cut into pieces three pounds of a breast of venison, which put on the fire in a saucepan, with half a pound of bacon cut in small pieces, and a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg, for fifteen minutes; mix well with your ingredients two tablespoonfuls of flour, add half a pint of consomme (stock), and the same of red wine ; also several branches of parsley, inclosing three cloves, three pepper-corns, two branches of thyme, two bayleaves, a clove of garlic, and tie all together. Boil three quarters of an hour. Peel two dozen white onions, color them in a frying-pan on the fire, with a little butter, and then add them to your stew ; boil fifteen minutes longer, add a dozen mushrooms cut in quarters, and serve. 332. Braised Fillets of Venison. Put four fillets of venison in an earthen jar, with half a pint of oil, a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg, for four hours ; drain them and put them in a saucepan on the fire, with two cloves, two pepper-corns, two bayleaves, two branches of thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a sliced onion. Moisten with an equal quantity of consomme (stock, Art. 1) and white ENTREES. I23 wine, so as to almost cover your fillets. Simmer gently for an hour and a half; drain them, and serve with a sauce piquante (Art. 86). 333. Broiled Plover. Clean eight plovers, split them down the back without separating the two parts ; chop the livers very fine, add half of their quantity of butter, as much bread-crumbs which you have pressed through a sieve, a little salt, pepper, nutmeg, a pinch of thyme, either powdered or chopped very fine, the white of an egg, and a tablespoonful of parsley chopped very fine. Mix all thoroughly together, toast eight pieces of bread without the crust, spread your mixture upon them ; broil the plovers, place them on top of your toast, and serve garnished with water-cresses. 334. Roast Plover. Prepare and clean eight plovers for roasting; tie on top of each a thin piece of pork ; and roast them twenty minutes. Remove the strings and place the plovers on a dish ; take the liquid from the pan in which the birds were roasted, add a wineglass of consomme" (Art. 1), boil for a moment, strain, and pour it on the dish with the plovers ; serve garnished with watercresses. 335. Broiled Woodcock. Prepare eight woodcocks for broiling ; preserve the insides, except the gizzard, chop them, finish as for the toast described in broiled plover (Art. 2>Zl)^ and serve garnished with slices of lemon. 336. Roast Woodcock. Prepare as for roast plover. Roast them twelve to fifteen minutes. 337. Snipe. Snipe are prepared as woodcocks, robins, and other small birds. 338. Reed-Birds. Take two dozen reed-birds and put them in a saucepan, with two ounces of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, toss them in the pan, on a quick fire, for about three minutes. Put them on a dish on which you have placed pieces of toast ; add a wineglass of consomme (Art. 1) to the butter in your saucepan. Boil a moment, strain, add the juice of a lemon, and pour over the reed-birds. Reed-birds are also roasted, served on toast, with sometimes a silver skewer passed through them. Four to five minutes, on a good fire, will be sufficient to roast them.