To lard game — After cleaning and washing, cut fat salt pork into
thin, narrow strips ; thread a larding needle with one of the strips, run
the needle under the skin with a little of the flesh of the bird and draw
the pork half way through, so that the ends of the strips exposed will
be of equal length. The strips should be about one inch apart. The
larding destroys the flavor of the bird, and many prefer tying a piece of
bacon on the breast instead, but the larding of birds renders them more
juicy.
To roast game — Season with salt and pepper, place a lump of butter
or pork inside; truss, skewer and place in oven. The flavor is best pre-
served without dressing, but many prefePa plain bread dressing, or a
few oysters placed inside. Or, put the fowl, with an onion, salt and
hot water into a pan and baste for ten or fifteen minutes ; change the
pan ; put in a slice of salt pork and baste with butter and pork drip-
pings very often ; just before serving dredge lightly with flour and
baste. Ducks take from twenty-five to thirty-five minutes to roast, and
woodcocks and snipe fifteen to twenty-five. Do not draw or take off
the heads of either.
To broil — Split down the back ; open and flatten the breast by cover-
ing with a cloth and pounding, season with pepper, and lay the inside
first upon the gridiron. Turn as soon as browned, and when almost
done, take off; place on a platter ; sprinkle with salt and return to the
gridiron. When done, place in a hot dish, butter both sides well, and
serve at once. The time required is usually about twenty minutes.
This is a very nice way to cook prairie chickens, partridges and quails,
or you will find it a decided improvement to stuff them with sausage
meat.
To roast them, they must be cleaned nicely, rinsed and dried and
then filled with dressing, sewing them up nicely and binding down
the legs and wings with cords. Put them in a steamer over hot water,
and let them cook until just done. Then place them in a pan with a
little butter, set them in the oven and baste them frequently with
melted butter until of a nice brown. They ought to brown nicely in
about fifteen minutes, Serve them on a platter with sprigs of parsley
alternately with currant jelly.
502 GAME.
Pigeons may be either roasted, potted or stewed. After they are
thoroughly picked and cleaned, put a small piece of salt pork and a
little ball of dressing into the body of every pigeon. The dressing should
be made of one egg to one cracker, an equal quantity of suet, or butter,
seasoned with sweet marjoram, or sage (if marjoram cannot be pro-
cured). Flour the pigeons well : lay them close together in the bottom
of the pot ; just cover them with water ; throw in a bit of butter ; and let
them stew an hour and a quarter, if young ; an hour and three-quar-
ters if old. Some people turn off the liquor just before they are done,
and brown the pigeons on the bottom of the pot ; but this is very trou-
blesome, as they are apt to break to pieces. Stewed pigeons are cooked .
in nearly the same way, with the omission of the stuffing. Being dry
meat, they require a good deal of butter. Pigeons should be stuffed
and roasted about fifteen minutes before a smart fire. Those who like
birds just warmed through, would perhaps think less time necessary.
Page 420
Presented as published in 1886. 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
To lard game — After cleaning and washing, cut fat salt pork into thin, narrow strips ; thread a larding needle with one of the strips, run the needle under the skin with a little of the flesh of the bird and draw the pork half way through, so that the ends of the strips exposed will be of equal length. The strips should be about one inch apart. The larding destroys the flavor of the bird, and many prefer tying a piece of bacon on the breast instead, but the larding of birds renders them more juicy.
To roast game — Season with salt and pepper, place a lump of butter or pork inside; truss, skewer and place in oven. The flavor is best preserved without dressing, but many prefer a plain bread dressing, or a few oysters placed inside. Or, put the fowl, with an onion, salt and hot water into a pan and baste for ten or fifteen minutes ; change the pan ; put in a slice of salt pork and baste with butter and pork drippings very often ; just before serving dredge lightly with flour and baste. Ducks take from twenty-five to thirty-five minutes to roast, and woodcocks and snipe fifteen to twenty-five. Do not draw or take off the heads of either.
To broil — Split down the back ; open and flatten the breast by covering with a cloth and pounding, season with pepper, and lay the inside first upon the gridiron. Turn as soon as browned, and when almost done, take off; place on a platter ; sprinkle with salt and return to the gridiron. When done, place in a hot dish, butter both sides well, and serve at once. The time required is usually about twenty minutes. This is a very nice way to cook prairie chickens, partridges and quails, or you will find it a decided improvement to stuff them with sausage meat.
To roast them, they must be cleaned nicely, rinsed and dried and then filled with dressing, sewing them up nicely and binding down the legs and wings with cords. Put them in a steamer over hot water, and let them cook until just done. Then place them in a pan with a little butter, set them in the oven and baste them frequently with melted butter until of a nice brown. They ought to brown nicely in about fifteen minutes, Serve them on a platter with sprigs of parsley alternately with currant jelly.
502 GAME.
Pigeons may be either roasted, potted or stewed. After they are thoroughly picked and cleaned, put a small piece of salt pork and a little ball of dressing into the body of every pigeon. The dressing should be made of one egg to one cracker, an equal quantity of suet, or butter, seasoned with sweet marjoram, or sage (if marjoram cannot be procured). Flour the pigeons well : lay them close together in the bottom of the pot ; just cover them with water ; throw in a bit of butter ; and let them stew an hour and a quarter, if young ; an hour and three-quarters if old. Some people turn off the liquor just before they are done, and brown the pigeons on the bottom of the pot ; but this is very troublesome, as they are apt to break to pieces. Stewed pigeons are cooked . in nearly the same way, with the omission of the stuffing. Being dry meat, they require a good deal of butter. Pigeons should be stuffed and roasted about fifteen minutes before a smart fire. Those who like birds just warmed through, would perhaps think less time necessary.