739. FIELDFARE OR BLACKBIRD PIE

The modern cook · Charles Elmé Francatelli · 1846
Source
The modern cook
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (20)
Instructions (10)
  1. Pick the birds very clean, draw and singe them.
  2. Cut off the legs and wings off and tuck the thigh bones inside the birds.
  3. Stuff them with the preparation: soak the crumb of two French-rolls in a little milk, put them in a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter, a little grated lemon-peel, a small shallot chopped fine, and a handful of parsley also chopped; season with pepper and salt, a little grated nutmeg, and a pinch of aromatic spices (No. 1250); stir this over the fire until the whole forms a compact paste; then add the yolks of two eggs, and use thus stuffing as above directed.
  4. Cover the bottom of a pie-dish with scollops of beef previously fried brown.
  5. Place the birds in close circular order upon these.
  6. Between each bird put a slice of streaky bacon.
  7. Fill up the centre with stewed mushrooms prepared as follows: Clean a plateful of mushrooms, cut them up and put them in a stewpan with a small pat of butter, half a pint of rich gravy or brown sauce, two table-spoonfuls of Harvey sauce, a little Cayenne pepper and salt; stew these over a quick fire for ten minutes, and then, if gravy be used for the purpose instead of sauce, thicken it by mixing in small pat of butter kneaded with a table-spoonful or flour.
  8. Cover the pie with puff-paste.
  9. Bake for one hour and a half.
  10. Send to table.
Original Text
739. FIELDFARE OR BLACKBIRD PIE. THESE birds are only fit for table during the months of November, December, and January, and are in the greatest perfection during severe frosty weather. Procure a dozen fieldfares or blackbirds; which should be fat and fresh killed; pick them very clean, draw and singe them; next cut off the legs and wings off and tuck the thigh bones inside the birds, and stuff them with the following preparation: Soak the crumb of two French-rolls in a little milk, put them in a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter, a little grated lemon-peel, a small shallot chopped fine, and a handful of parsley also chopped; season with pepper and salt, a little grated nutmeg, and a pinch of aromatic spices (No. 1250); stir this over the fire until the whole forms a compact paste; then add the yolks of two eggs, and use thus stuffing as above directed. Cover the bottom of a pie-dish with scollops of beef previously fried brown, place the birds in close circular order upon these; between each bird put a slice of streaky bacon, and fill up the centre with stewed mushrooms prepared as follows. Clean a plateful of mushrooms, cut them up and put them in a stewpan with a small pat of butter, half a pint of rich gravy or brown sauce, two table-spoonfuls of Harvey sauce, a little Cayenne pepper and salt; stew these over a quick fire for ten minutes, and then, if gravy be used for the purpose instead of sauce, thicken it by mixing in small pat of butter kneaded with a table-spoonful or flour. The pie must be afterwards covered with puff-paste, baked for one hour and a half, and then sent to table.
Notes
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