A quail, like a prairie-bird, is old when it has a white bill and bluish legs; when young, the bill is of a rather dark-gray color, and the legs are yellowish. Quails are just the contrary of pheasants; the more fresh they are when cooked, the better.

To Prepare

When cleaned and prepared as directed for poultry, cut off the end of the claws, and then truss it as a chicken, sprinkle salt and pepper on the breast. Cut thin slices of fat salt pork, somewhat square, and of a proper size to cover the breast of the bird, but not the back. Tie it to the bird with two pieces of twine, then roast or bake.

Another Way To Prepare Them

When cleaned, prepared, and trussed as above, envelop the bird with grape-vine leaves, then in thin slices of salt-pork, and roast or bake them. They may also be enveloped in buttered paper, after being prepared, instead of salt pork or grape-vine leaves, or instead of both, but only to roast them; if baked, the buttered paper is placed over the birds.

Baked

Place the birds on their backs in a bakingpan, with a piece of butter the size of a hazel-nut on each , just cover the bottom of the pan with cold water, and set in a quick oven (about 400° Fahr.) and baste now and then. When about half done, put the liver of the birds, well pounded, in the baking-pan, and continue basting till done. While the quails are baking, cut as many square slices of stale bread as you have quails, about three inches broad and one-fourth of an inch thick; fry them in hot fat, place them on the dish, place a quail with the breast upward on each slice; remove the twine, turn the gravy over them and serve warm. Water-cress may be placed between each bird, as well as all around, and in the middle of the dish, with vinegar or lemon-juice sprinkled all over. It must also be served warm.

Hunter-Like (Au Chasseur)

Clean and prepare as directed for birds. Set a saucepan on the fire with two ounces of butter to melt, then put in it four quails trussed as for roasting; turn them round in the pan to color every side; add then half a dozen stalks of parsley, salt, pepper, and nearly cover them with broth and white wine, half of each; boil gently till done. Dish the quails, and put them away in a warm place. Strain the sauce and put it back on the fire with a tablespoonful of meuniere, boil rather fast till it commences turning thick, turn over the quails and serve warm.

Roasted

When cleaned and prepared as directed, envelop the birds in grape-vine leaves and salt pork, or in buttered paper, as directed above, and place them on the spit before a moderate though good fire. Have slices of roasted bread in the dripping-pan, baste often with the drippings, and when done remove the twine, or the twine and paper, but neither the salt pork nor the grape-vine leaves, and serve warm. The slices of bread are placed on the dish, then a quail on each slice. Water-cress may also be served as above.

Quails roasted with grape-vine leaves are considered one of the most recherche dishes. When about half roasted, the liver of the birds, well pounded, is put in the dripping-pan, and the drippings are turned over the birds when dished. When pounded, the livers may be spread on the slices of bread before placing them in the dripping-pan.

With Green Peas

When the quails are roasted or baked, they may be served with green peas au jus. They may also be served on a puree of celery or of mushrooms. In Chartreuse. - Proceed exactly as for a chartreuse of prairie-bird. Quails may be served in every way like prairie-hens, stewed, in salad, in salmis, etc.