1486 | Reed-birds à la Joseph Pulitzer.
—Have twelve fine, fat, fresh reed-birds, remove the entrails, and the eyes from the head, neatly wipe them, stick the bill of each bird into the breast, cut off the legs, then place them in a roasting-pan; season with a tablespoonful of salt, sprinkle over a very little clarified butter, place them in a very hot oven to roast for two minutes only; remove from the oven and slightly cool off. Peel and boil five medium-sized sound potatoes in salted water; when cooked drain the water completely, leaving the potatoes in the same pan; thoroughly mash them with a potato-masher, add two ounces of good butter, half a teaspoonful of white pepper; pour in half a cupful of hot milk, and with a wooden spoon thoroughly mix together; add now the yolks of two eggs, sharply mixing again; place it on the hot range, thoroughly mix while heating for three minutes; then press it through a fine sieve into a flat pan and let cool for five minutes. Take the twelve reed-birds, completely mask each bird with the above preparation, roll them nicely, giving each bird a barrel shape, three inches long by one and a half in diameter; dip them in beaten egg, roll in fresh bread-crumbs, taking care not to spoil their shape; then fry them in very hot fat for five minutes; remove from the fat, thoroughly drain on a towel; dress them on a hot serving-dish with a folded napkin, and send to the table with a gill of hot Madeira sauce (No. 185) separate.