Compotte Of Quails

Take six or eight quails, according to the size of your dish. Cut the claws off, empty the birds, without making too large an opening. Truss them en poule, that is to say, with the legs inward. Have a dozen pieces of bacon cut into the shape of corks, blanch them in order to draw the salt out: then let them fry in butter till they are of a light brown; next take them out of the stew-pan to make room for the quails, which stew till they begin to be of a light brown also, and then take them out. Make a roux, which moisten with a ladleful of gravy of veal; add a bunch of parsley and green onions, some small white onions (if approved of), mushrooms, etc. As soon as the quails are done, take them out of the stew-pan, and let the bacon stew till thoroughly done. Skim the sauce well, and strain it through a tammy over the quails: then dish the bacon, mushrooms, and small onions, and send up quite hot, and well seasoned.

Compotte Of Quails, White

This is made in the same manner as the compotte of partridges, No. 8, page 191, with the only difference that you use broth instead of gravy of veal; thicken the sauce with yolk of eggs, and serve the onions white, the same as the mushrooms.

Quails With Peas

Empty, singe, and truss six nice quails; put them into a stew-pan wrapped up in layers of bacon: moisten with a poele, if you have any; if not, with two spoonfuls of broth, a bunch of parsley, seasoned with bay-leaves, thyme, a clove, etc. Stew them for twenty minutes over a very slow fire. Drain them well, and let them boil for a moment with the peas and bacon. (See Sauces, Green Peas, brown, or white.) Next dish them, and reduce the liquor, which, the quails having been boiled in it, would be too thin to mask with.

Quails Au Gratia

Bone six quails, pick them nicely: take a little farce fine, made in preference with the flesh of young rabbits: fill the bodies* of the quails with the said farce; then raise a kind of dome on a dish, and with a spoon make room for the birds: next make an opening in the middle ; let it be either round or square, according to the shape of the dish. Put a piece of soft bread covered with layers of bacon within the opening; cover the birds with layers of bacon, and put the dish into the oven for about a quarter of an hour, or twenty minutes at most, till the birds are done. Drain the fat carefully. Then take six slices of bread cut into the shape of cocks'-combs, which you fry in butter till they are of a light brown, and put them one by one between the birds. Serve a ragout a la financiere in the middle, and mask* the birds and the gratin with a good Espagnole well reduced.

Quails A La Bourguignotte

Mark the quails as directed No. 3 : when done, drain them well, and let them boil for a couple of minutes in the bourguignotte (See Sauces); leave them in the sauce during an hour, when the stew-pan is to be put au bain marie, that the birds may taste of the sauce and truffles.

Quails A La Crapaudine

These are dressed and cooked in the same manner as pigeons, or partridges a la crapaudine. Serve them up with an Italienne, or a consomme a glace over them.

How To Cook Woodcocks And Snipes

Woodcocks, the same as snipes, are good only when they are fat. They are cooked but in very few ways. The most delicate parts are the legs and the intestines. The fillets of woodcocks, for those persons who do not like their meat under-done, are tough and without savour. They are held in high estimation when roasted, or en salmi. A puree of woodcocks is also served occasionally. They may however be dressed in as many ways as young partridges. When roasted, you must always put a toast under them, to receive the intestines, which generally drop out while roasting, unless paper is used to secure them. Take care to stop the spit when the back is towards the fire, because the legs are to be well done, and the fillets under-done.

* Mask, signifies cover with the sauce.

Croustade Of Puree Of Woodcocks

If you have any salmi of woodcocks left, drain all the sauce, mince the flesh well, and pound it in a mortar; then moisten it with the sauce, and warm it, to know whether the puree is too thin or too thick: then strain it through a tammy, and put it au bain marie; then work it with a small lump of very fresh butter. Cut eight slices of bread into hearts all of an equal size: try them on the dish, to see whether they form a regular flower; then cut another slice quite round to put in the middle over the points of the hearts: this completed, make a deep incision all round the upper part, without however its being cut through : then fry them in clarified butter till of a light brown: as soon as they are fried, cut the middle out, to leave as little crumb as possible. Keep them hot, well wrapped up in a clean sheet of paper. When ready to serve up, work the puree, and pour it into the croustade.

You may send up this puree in a bord de plat with poached eggs, or in a vol au vent, etc.