(2071). Grouse, Prairie Hens Or Ptarmigan, Broiled (Tetras, Poules De Prairie Ou De Neige Grilles)

There are two ways of preparing these birds for broiling; the first, or the one most generally employed is to cut off the feet at the first joint, also the neck, leaving the throat skin on as long as possible; split the grouse lengthwise through the back to open it entirely; remove the breastbones, flatten lightly and season with salt; dip them in oil and broil over a moderate fire, then dress on toast with clear gravy (No. 404).

Another Way is after the grouse is picked, drawn and singed, truss with the legs thrust inside, and cut them lengthwise in two, beat lightly, pare neatly, season and dip in melted butter, then in bread-crumbs and broil in a double broiler on a moderate fire, turning them when well done on one side; dressed grouse can be cooked in either of these ways, being careful not to have the broiler too tight, and when dressed they may be covered with maitre d'hotel butter (No. 581; or else have a cold tartar sauce (No. 631) served separately.

Fig. 394.

Prairie Hen (Grouse) - (Terras).

Fig. 395.

Ptarmigan - (Poule de Neige).

(2072). Grouse Or Prairie Hens Roasted With Gravy, Fried Bread-Crumbs Or Apple Sauce (Tetras Ou Poules De Prairie Rotis Au Jus, Mie De Pain Frite Ou Sauce Aux Pommes)

Select some grouse and after picking, singeing and drawing, truss them without barding for roasting (No. 179), run a skewer through and fasten this firmly to the spit, then roast before a good fire or they may be put in a baking pan, smeared over with fat and roasted in the oven, but in either case they need basting frequently with melted butter. When almost done, salt them over and as soon as they are finished (which will take from twenty to twenty-five minutes), like all black meats these should be cooked rare, untruss and dress on a crouton of bread cut so that they stand plumb on it, and serve some clear gravy (No. 404) separately or replace it by apple sauce (No. 428), served the same, or a bread sauce (No. 438), may be substituted or surround with fried bread-crumbs prepared as follows: Brown some slices of bread in the oven and when of a good color and very dry, pound and pass through a fine wire sieve, mix these crumbs with a little butter, put it into a sautoir and set in the oven to fry until of a nice color.

(2073). Grouse Or Prairie Hens A La Tzarina - Breasts (Filets De Tetras Ou De Geli- Nottesa La Tzarine)

Remove the breasts from six fresh grouse or prairie hens, suppress the minion fillets and pare the larger ones prettily the same as chicken fillets, taking oft" all the skin; beat down to flatten and season with salt, lay them in a sautoir with cold clarified butter and cover with a buttered paper. With the minion fillets, and the breast parings, prepare game cream forcemeat (No. 75), have it nice and smooth and keep it cold. Butter a plain border mold (Fig. 139), decorate the sides with fanciful bits of truffle and lay it aside on ice. Prepare a garnishing composed only of fine and very white cocks'-combs, not having them too much cooked and place them in a bain-marie. With the carcasses of the breasts without the legs prepare a good fumet, and strain it. Put on to reduce a few gills of good bechamel (No. 409) with a small bunch of green fennel, mushroom peelings and a spoonful of prepared red pepper (No. 168) and incorporate the fumet slowly into this; when this sauce becomes rich, but not too thick, strain and keep it in a bain-marie stirring it up occasionally.

Fill the decorated mold with the cream forcemeat pressing it in carefully, cover it over with a buttered paper and poach it for fifteen to twenty minutes in a bain-marie. At the last moment poach the fillets over a brisk fire, turning them around and keeping them rare; two minutes will suffice for their cooking drain them off at once to pare and pour into this same sautoir one gill and a half of good game stock (No. 195), reduce the liquid to half with the butter and incorporate this slowly into the sauce. On the rounded end of each of the fillets lay an oval piece of cooked truffle covered with a thin layer of raw forcemeat to help fasten it on. Unmold the border on a dish, fill the interior with the well-drained combs and dress the fillets in a circle on the border. Cover them as well as the combs with a part of the sauce and serve the rest apart.

Fig. 398.