Cookery for every household

Only very young and tender birds can be prepared in this way. Split them through the back without separating the halves, wipe the pieces carefully with a damp cloth and skewer them open. Season with pepper and salt and, if liked, a little finely-chopped parsley and shallot. Brush over on both sides with salad oil or melted butter and let them lie a short time, if possible, to let the fat soak in. Grease a gridiron and make it very hot. Place the birds on it, and broil them over a clear fire, turning them occasionally and brushing them over with more oil or butter. The time will depend very much on the size and thickness of the grouse. When ready, serve the birds on a very hot dish with a pat of maitre d’hotel butter on the top of each. Garnish with chip potatoes or grilled mushrooms. Mushroom sauce is sometimes served separately. This is a very good way of preparing grouse for breakfast, when little rolls of bacon or mushrooms should accompany them. Grilling or broiling is a very good way of using up birds from which the breast fillets have been removed to make some entree. Time to broil, about 20 minutes. 1230. Grouse a 1’Alsacienne A brace of grouse. Farce au gratin. Slices of fat bacon. A little butter. A little cream. 1 glass Madeira. Foie gras. Brown chaudfroid sauce. Meat or aspic jelly. Prepare some farce au gratin (see Recipe 1271) and stuff the grouse with it. Truss them for roasting, tying a piece of fat bacon over the breast. Then brown the birds in a saucepan with a little butter, pour in the Madeira, and cook them in the oven until tender, about 30 minutes. When ready, lift them out and allow them to become cold. Then cut the birds in three, lengthwise, and cut two slices of cooked or preserved foie gras for each. Put the pieces of bird together with a piece of foie gras between each, sticking them together with a little foie gras that has been rubbed through a sieve and mixed with some butter or cream. Give the birds as much their original shape as possible, then coat them with brown chaudfroid sauce (see Recipe 715), using the sauce in a setting condition. Set aside for a short time, then decorate according to taste, and brush them over with a little jelly. Serve them on a croute of fried bread with a little chopped jelly round. Note. — Partridges or other game may be prepared in the same way. Time to cook, about 30 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. 1231. Roast Ortolans (Ortolans Rotis) Follow directions given for Roast Quails (Recipe 1244). From 15 to 20 minutes will be required to cook them. 1232. Roast Partridge (Perdreau Roti) Prepare and serve in the same way as Roast Grouse (Recipe 1228). Time required, about f hour. Partridge 1233. Broiled Partridges (Perdreaux Grilles) 2 or more young partridges. Chopped parsley. Chopped mushrooms. Chopped shallot. Pepper and salt. Butter. Browned bread-crumbs. Potato chips. Some good gravy. Pick and clean the partridges, cutting them in halves. Leave on the legs, but cut off the toes.