Stuffed Larks in Croustade

Ingredients

• two dozen Larks
• 6oz. of ham cut in dice
• 1J pints of broth
• 1 wineglassful of white wine
• about twelve mushrooms
• a good-sized lump of butter
• the juice of a lemon
• a little pepper
• breadcrumbs
• a cover of the batter

Method

1. 1

   Prepare a thick batter with cornflour, pour it into a timbale-mould, steam it, and leave till cold.

2. 2

   Take it out of the mould and cut out the inside, leaving about 0.5 inch thick at the sides and bottom.

3. 3

   Butter the interior of the mould, sprinkle in breadcrumbs, and put in the cornflour timbale crust.

4. 4

   Stuff the Larks with raw pork-mince mixed with chopped truffles, fry with ham and bacon, add white wine, and reduce to glaze.

5. 5

   Simmer the necks and legs with broth and white wine for twenty minutes.

6. 6

   Strain the sauce, mix with mushrooms, thicken, and combine with the Larks.

7. 7

   Pour into the timbale, cover with batter, and bake until nicely coloured.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The encyclopaedia of practical cookery (1892) by Theodore Francis Garrett, William A. Rawson, page 273. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Stuffed Larks in Croustade. and arrange in the croustade (see Fig. 1048). Pour over some Spanish sauce reduced with essence of Larks and serve with the remainder in a sauceboat. Garnish round the dish with fat-liver forcemeat croquettes and parsley sprays. Timbale of Larks. — Prepare a thick batter with lib. of cornllour, pour it into a timbale-mould, steam it, and leave Larks — continued. till cold ; then take it out of the mould and cut out the inside, leaving about Jin. thick at the sides and bottom; wipe the interior of the mould, butter it again, sprinkle in breadcrumbs, and put in the cornflour timbale crust. Singe and draw two dozen Larks, cut off the necks and legs, stuff them with a little raw pork-mince, having 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls of chopped truffles mixed with it, put them into a stewpan with 6oz. of ham cut in dice and some rasped bacon, fry till lightly browned, then pour in a little white wine, and boil gently till reduced to glaze. Fry the necks and legs together with a few trim- mings of ham in a little lard, then sprinkle with a little Hour, pour in 1J pints of broth and 1 wineglassful of white wine, stir all over the fire till boiling, then stand the stew- pan at the side and let the broth simmer for twenty minutes. Skim the fat off this sauce, strain it through a fine hair sieve into a flat stewpan, mix with it about twelve mushro ms cut in moderate-sized pieces, stir it over the fire till reduced, then thicken with a little butter rolled in flour, and pour the sauce in the stewpan with the Larks. Dust some flour over two dozen small quenelles, poach, and mix them with the above preparation ; pour all into the prepared timbale, put a cover of the batter rolled out round on the top, solder it with a little forcemeat, cover with paper, and bake. When nicely coloured, turn the timbale out on a hot dish, and serve. LAVENDER.— An aromatic plant of the genus Lavandula, so called from having been used to perfume waters for bathing. An essence made from the oil of Lavender is sometimes used for flavouring confectionery. Lavender Drops. — Put some treble-refined coarsely-sifted sugar in a pan, flavour it with essence of Lavender, stir in slowly sufficient water to make it drop off the spatula ■without sticking, and colour the sugar with prepared cochi- neal; too much cochineal must not lie used, as the tint should be light and deli ’ate. Put the paste in a small drop-pan, and place the pan on the stove on a ring that it just fits. Stir the sugar with a small spatula until it dissolves and makes a slight noise, but on no account must it boil. Remove it from the fire when at boiling- point, and continue stirring with the spatula till of the consistency that when dropped it will not spread too much. Should it be too thin, a little more of the prepared sugar should be added. Let the paste drop from the lip of the pan on to a smooth sheet of tin, cutting eacli drop off with a piece of wire when the right size. Leave them to dry for two hours, then take the drops off with a thin knife, and keep them in glass-stoppered bottles. Lavender Lozenges. — Dissolve lib. of gum Arabic in 1 pint of water. Sift some finely- powdered sugar over a marble slab, pour the dissolved gum into it, mix to a stiff paste, flavour with a little oil of Lavender, and colour it with a little cochineal and blue mixed. Dust a little powdered starch over the slab, then roll the paste out on it, about Jin. thick. Sprinkle starch powder and caster sugar over the surface, then rub it on with the hands — this prevents it from sticking. Cut out the lozenges with either round or oval cutters, and put them on trays in a warm temperature to dry. They should be kept in glass bottles. LAVER.— In the article on Alg.f this sea-weed was described in company with others; but by Kettner we are assured that it is worthy of considerable individual attention. This author writes : “ Many an old-fashioned English gentleman will be glad to see Laver men- tioned here, and to be reminded of its excellence with boiled mutton.” The reason of its decadence in popular estimation he considers to be due to the spread of French cookery. Continental cooks being unacquainted with the beauties of this islander's natural food. There are two sorts, which may be collected on any shore (see Figs. 1049 and 1050); but it is usually sold in pots ready for eating, having been boiled to a pulp. It is very nice when cooked as follows : Put the prepared Laver into an enamelled stewpan with a good-sized lump of butter, squeeze in the juice of a lemon For details respecting Culinary Processes , Utensils , Sauces, &x., referred to, see under their special heads. 3 Q 834 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY. Laver — continued. or orange, dust with a little pepper

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