The new century cookery book

1236. Perdreaux a la Crapaudine (Partridge, Crapaudine Style). — Fresh-killed partridges are best for this dish. Pluck, singe, and draw the birds ; split each bird down the back, spread open, wipe the inside, flatten with a cutlet-bat, and skewer them so as to keep flat. Brush over well with sweet salad oil, season with salt and pepper, dip in fresh bread-crumbs, sprinkle over some more oil, place them on a gridiron previously cleaned and rubbed with a piece of fat bacon. Grill on a brisk fire at first and finish over a slow fire ; they will take from twenty to twenty- five minutes, according to the size of the birds. Remove the skewers. Dress the partridges on a hot dish pyramid fashion, and send to table accompanied with a boat of remoulade sauce (No. 285). Great care must be bestowed on the grilling, so as not to let them brown ; the birds should be of a light brown colour. 1237. Fried Bread-Crumbs. — Put three ounces of fresh bread-crumbs in a frying-pan with about half an ounce of butter. Fry over the fire a light brown colour, stirring continually, and place on a sieve for a few minutes before the fire to drain. 1238. Perdreaux rotis a l'Anglaise. — Procure a pair of well-hung partridges ready trussed for roasting. Hang them before a brisk fire and baste well with oiled butter. They will require about twenty minutes to cook, but need occasional basting. When done untruss, dish up on a piece of toasted or fried bread ; garnish with a handful of well washed and picked watercress and fried breadcrumbs. Serve with gravy and bread sauce (No. 235). 1239. Sure de Sanglier (Dressed Boar's Head). 1 boar's head, or a pig's head, a mirepoix, pickle, 2 lbs. sausage meat, 1 lb. cooked ox-tongue, 6 large truffles, pistachio kernels, lard, 1 pint white wine, aromatic seasoning, peppercorns, bay-leaves, parsley, dc., meat-glaze (No. 247). Clean the head carefully, remove the ears (these should be boiled separately, but must be kept firm, as they will be required for decoration), bone the head, commencing from the back, put it in a good pickle for at least eight hours. If a boar’s head is used it must be scalded in boiling water containing vinegar, so as to make it thoroughly clean and freed from hair. The pickle for either pig’s or boar’s head should consist of vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns, one bay-leaf, a bunch of parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, marjoram, sage, and a few peeled shallots ; a little saltpetre may also be added. Drain the pickled head, wipe it, and season with a good tablespoonful of aromatic spice (no salt), fill the cavities made by the removal of bones &c. with sausage meat, slices of truffle, tongue cut into dice, and pistachios, previously peeled. Sew up the opening made by boning with twine, to give it its natural shape, and wrap up in a cloth tightly. Boil it for five hours in good stock or water, a pint of Sauterne or Marsala wine, a mirepoix consisting of carrot, herbs, onion, parsley, peppercorns, and blade of mace, and four cloves. When done take out and allow to cool. Untie, when cold, the back of the head ; fasten the ears with small wooden skewers in their proper places ; use a little lard to hide the ends of the skewers ; wipe the skin and glaze the head with meat-glaze.