GAME.
1482 | Woodcocks en Croustades à la Harper Bros.
—Have six fine, fresh, fat woodcocks; pick well, remove the entrails, place the hearts and livers on a plate, then remove the skin from the neck and head of each, and with a keen knife pick out the eyes. Cut the heads and necks right close to the body, lay them on a plate. Cut out two very thin slices of truffle, then with a tube, the same size of the eyes, cut out twelve pieces; insert one piece in each eye of the heads, and lay them on a dish for further action. Now with a small, sharp knife make an incision right along the back. Begin boning from the neck right down toward the breast on both sides of each bird, carefully avoid making any holes in the skin, and when down to the second joint cut it, so as to easily remove the carcass of each, leaving the legs intact; cut away the claws of each bird. Season the inside with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, equally divided among the six birds, and then leave on a dish. Have in a sautoire on the fire one tablespoonful of butter, with half a finely chopped shallot; let cook for one minute without browning, then add four finely chopped mushrooms, one truffle, and hearts and livers all cut in the same way; let all cook together for three minutes, sharply stirring meanwhile; season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, add to it a tablespoonful of Madeira wine, cook for one minute; add a teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley and two tablespoonfuls of fresh bread-crumbs; thoroughly mix together, then place it on the corner of the range. Lay the birds one alongside another with the skin side down; place a tablespoonful of the garnishing right in the centre of each bird. Arrange a head over the force of each bird, so that nothing but the head remains out. Fold up both sides of the bird so as to have them represent their natural forms. Have a lightly buttered sautoire, place each bird on its back in the sautoire, one alongside another, gently turning the birds upward, sprinkle over a very little clarified butter, then place in a very hot oven for five minutes. Prepare six croustades as for No. 264; equally divide the remainder of the force among the six croustades. Remove the birds from out the oven, neatly arrange a bird in each croustade. Dress them on a hot dish, leave at the oven door to keep warm. Add to the pan in which they were cooked half a wineglassful of Madeira wine; reduce it to one-half, then add half a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151) and half a gill of tomato sauce (No. 205); let boil for two minutes; skim off the fat, strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, equally divide it over the six birds, and send to the table.
N. B.—The croustades should always be prepared before the woodcocks are cooked.