Reed -birds and Potatoes in Sur-
prise.— Procure twelve Philadelphia
reed-birds, pick them entirely, neck
and head, taking care not to tear the
skin. Singe them, make a very
small opening, and clean them with
a small coffee-spoon ; wipe them with
a damp towel and sprinkle inside
half a salt - spoonful of salt. Cut
the nails, truss the legs at the joints,
so as to bring the feet upon the thighs,
fasten with a small string ; truss the
wings behind the back, pass the head
under the right one, and bring it
towards the front. Fasten the wings
with another string across the lower
part of the breast. Cover the birds
with a very thin, paper-like piece of
salted larding-pork, and fasten with
a small string. Have prepared some
canapes of stale bread cut the length
of the bird. Brown them slightly
and butter them ; lay them in a but-
tered roasting - pan, turn the birds
over, and cook in a hot oven for eight
minutes. Cut the strings, remove
the blankets of pork, put the canapes
in the bird's -nest, and arrange the
birds over it. Pour over the dripping
from the roasting - pan, and serve at
once. The bird’s -nest is made of
fried potatoes. Peel and slice some
long potatoes✪ Reed-birds and Potatoes in Surprise. Cut the slices very
thin, straw-fashion; do not wash nor
wipe them, as their humidity is neces-
sary to make them adhere to the form
of the nest. Garnish well and all
around a small frying wire - basket
with the potatoes. Procure a second
one, one size smaller. When the
potatoes have been arranged in the
first basket, put the second one over
them ; this will keep them in their
shape ; then plunge the baskets in
plenty of very hot fat. The fat must
cover the nest entirely. Leave in six
minutes, lift up the baskets, drain
the fat for a moment, take off the
smaller basket, and slip the nest
out very carefully on a plate; then
dress the nest in a round platter
with some grape leaves under and
around. Arrange the toast and reed-
birds inside, and send to the table
very hot.
185
Redbirds in Jelly
GAME
Squab:
Redbirds in Jelly. — Take the backs
and breasts from a dozen birds.
Make a force-meat of the livers of the
birds, half a dozen chicken livers,
io ozs. of cold boiled tongue, the
mashed yolk of a hard-boiled egg,
and a table-spoonful of white sauce✪ Redbirds in Jelly,
seasoned with pepper and salt. Spread
the mixture over the inside of the
birds, sew them up into shape, put
in a pan, and set in a hot oven to
bake for ten minutes. Take up, dip
in glaze, pour a little melted aspic
jelly in the bottom of a dozen little
moulds, let cool slightly, put a bird
in each mould, and set on ice for five
minutes ; pour aspic over to cover ;
set back on the ice for one hour;
turn out of the moulds. Insert the
feet (which should be scalded and
dried) in the centre of each bird, and
serve.
Page 213 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1902. 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
Reed -birds and Potatoes in Surprise.— Procure twelve Philadelphia reed-birds, pick them entirely, neck and head, taking care not to tear the skin. Singe them, make a very small opening, and clean them with a small coffee-spoon ; wipe them with a damp towel and sprinkle inside half a salt - spoonful of salt. Cut the nails, truss the legs at the joints, so as to bring the feet upon the thighs, fasten with a small string ; truss the wings behind the back, pass the head under the right one, and bring it towards the front. Fasten the wings with another string across the lower part of the breast. Cover the birds with a very thin, paper-like piece of salted larding-pork, and fasten with a small string. Have prepared some canapes of stale bread cut the length of the bird. Brown them slightly and butter them ; lay them in a buttered roasting - pan, turn the birds over, and cook in a hot oven for eight minutes. Cut the strings, remove the blankets of pork, put the canapes in the bird's -nest, and arrange the birds over it. Pour over the dripping from the roasting - pan, and serve at once. The bird’s -nest is made of fried potatoes. Peel and slice some long potatoes. Cut the slices very thin, straw-fashion; do not wash nor wipe them, as their humidity is necessary to make them adhere to the form of the nest. Garnish well and all around a small frying wire - basket with the potatoes. Procure a second one, one size smaller. When the potatoes have been arranged in the first basket, put the second one over them ; this will keep them in their shape ; then plunge the baskets in plenty of very hot fat. The fat must cover the nest entirely. Leave in six minutes, lift up the baskets, drain the fat for a moment, take off the smaller basket, and slip the nest out very carefully on a plate; then dress the nest in a round platter with some grape leaves under and around. Arrange the toast and reedbirds inside, and send to the table very hot.
Redbirds in Jelly
Squab:
Redbirds in Jelly. — Take the backs and breasts from a dozen birds. Make a force-meat of the livers of the birds, half a dozen chicken livers, io ozs. of cold boiled tongue, the mashed yolk of a hard-boiled egg, and a table-spoonful of white sauce, seasoned with pepper and salt. Spread the mixture over the inside of the birds, sew them up into shape, put in a pan, and set in a hot oven to bake for ten minutes. Take up, dip in glaze, pour a little melted aspic jelly in the bottom of a dozen little moulds, let cool slightly, put a bird in each mould, and set on ice for five minutes ; pour aspic over to cover ; set back on the ice for one hour; turn out of the moulds. Insert the feet (which should be scalded and dried) in the centre of each bird, and serve.
Records on this page
Reed-birds and Potatoes in SurpriseRedbirds in Jelly