Comprising Ortolans, in Cases, with Madeira sauce. in Crouttades, a la Provencale.

Wheatears, in Cases, with Fine-herbs.

1109. Ortolans In Cases, With Madeira Sauce

These very delicious birds are a great rarity in England ; they are in season in September, and are to be had only of first-rate poulterers, who mostly import them from Belgium.

Cut four fat livers of fowls, and an equal quantity of fat bacon, into square pieces; first fry the bacon in a sautapan over a brisk fire, then add the livers, with a tablespoonful of fine-herbs, and season with pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg; when all this is fried brown, add to it half its quantity of panada (No. 239), and pound the whole together in a mortar until well mixed; add three yolks of eggs, then mix the above well together by pounding, and take the farce up into a basin. Next, cut eight small oval croustades of bread, just large enough to hold an ortolan each, making a slight incision round the inside of the edge of each croustade, and fry them in butter, of a light color; remove the inside crumb, line them with a thin coating of the farce, place an ortolan in each, then put them on a baking-sheet with a little oil, and bake them in the oven. When they are done, glaze and dish them up, pour over them some Madeira sauce (No. 8) mixed with a small pat of anchovy-butter, and the juice of half a lemon, then serve.

1110. Ortolans In Croustades, A La Provencale

Place the ortolans in a sauta-pan with three table-spoonfuls of salad oil, a bruised clove of garlic, some chopped truffles, mushrooms, and parsley; season with mignionette-pepper, salt, nutmeg, and the juice of a lemon ; fry them in this over a brisk fire for about ten minutes, adding a small piece of glaze and a spoonful of Espagnole sauce when done; toss the whole together, and then put the ortolans into small oval croustades of bread, fried in oil. Pour the fine-herbs over them, and place them upon a baking-sheet in the oven for about a quarter of an hour, that they may acquire a bright light-brown color; then, dish them up, pour some Procengale sauce (No. 25) over them, and serve.

1111. Wheatears In Cases, With Fine-Herbs

These are in season in August, and are seldom exposed for sale in the London markets; they are more plentiful at Brighton, being chiefly caught in that neighborhood: wheatears are not more than two-thirds of the size of larks, but when in good condition, are so unctuous as to resemble small lumps of butter, and are esteemed by epicures as very choice eating. Cut the legs off the wheatears, chop some truffles, mushrooms, and one shalot, and fry these in a sautapan with two pats of butter; season with pepper and salt, and grated nutmeg; then add a spoonful of sauce, two yolks of eggs, the juice of half a lemon, a small piece of anchovy-butter, and a little glaze ; place two wheatears in each case (previously oiled and baked to stiffen the paper), pour the sauce over them, and bake them in the oven upon a sautapan for about a quarter of an hour; pour a little bright Espagnole sauce over them, and serve.