Peacock

Ingredients

• the peacock
• spices
• sweet herbs
• yolk of egg
• three fat wethers, bruised and boiled down

Method

1. 1

   The peacock is first skinned and roasted.

2. 2

   Once cooked, it is sewn back into its skin and feathers, gilt, and served.

3. 3

   The interior is stuffed with spices and herbs, and it is accompanied by rich gravy made from boiled wethers.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The encyclopædia of practical cookery (1890) by Theodore Francis Garrett, page 347. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

peacock. To prepare this for the table as then dii'ected was a task entailing no little labour and skill; but this was an evident necessity, for, except as an ornament, or excuse for something more savoury within it, the flesh does not at any time appear to have commanded much admiration. The directions for its preparation as given in a very ancient book on cookery, directs that the skin shall be first carefully stripped off with the plumage adhering. The bird is then roasted as an ordinary fowl. When done and partially cooled, it was sewn up again in its skin and feathers, its beak gilt, and thus sent to table. See Fig. 468. Sometimes the whole body was covered with leaf gold, and a piece of cotton, For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, Ac., referred to, see under their special heads. 384 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY. Christinas Pare — continued. saturated in some sort of spirit, placed in his beak, and lighted before the carver commenced operations. What could be more simple and plain ! But we are informed by one who pronounces the peacock “food for lovers, and meat for lords,” that the interior of the bird was stuffed with spices and sweet herbs, basted with yolk of egg, and served with plenty of rich gravy, which would be made, on great occasions, of as many as three fat wethers, bruised and boiled down

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.