Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-24
z ROD AND GUN ;
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The quail is one of the finest of all
game birds when it is cooked properly.
In the North chefs too frequently either
dry out the flesh of the quail or else
serve it almost raw The Southern cooks
possess the secret of cooking this and
ether game birds to perfection, chiefly
because they use liberal quantities Of ex-
cellent butter to offset the natural dry
ness of the game, and never cook a quail
without a wrapping of salt pork or ba
con. There are queer little touches Of
which the southern nanny is mistress,
and which make her first in the art of
quail cookery One quaint and delicious
method, as interesting to watch as to en-
JOY upon the table is practiced in Vir-
gnia. Each bird is wrapped in slice
of bacon, while a single oyster is used as
a stufFlng. The birds are then suspended
before clear, open fire, each on a string
and are spun around constantly. The
bacon shrivels up in the heat. and when
it disappears the birds are done, and are
served on Well buttered toast and plates
that have been before the fire. both of
these last items being quite as important
as the cooking of the bird.
1t is always best to cook quails before
or upon a hot, clear, open fire. which,
however, people have not within reach
in the north, as a rule. A hot oven is
the next APPROACH to the open fire for
roasting or baking the quail Broiling
Ii the method most in favor.
The birds are plucked slnged and
drawn split lengthwise. and wiped with
| a damp towel. Season with salt, rub with
| warm butter. and dredge with flour. Put
the birds on a gridron over clear fire,
and broil ten minutes. Serve on buttered
toast with parsley and jelly. With ba-
con the birds may be broiled by pinning
them in the slices. which of course, melt
in the heat Some like the additional
broled bacon served With the birds, but
the mere suggestion is better.
Quails may be prepared ~ a chafing
dish, after several tried and proved re-
cipes. The superiority of the chatting
dish method always lies in the fact that
Il smaller quantity is usually prepared
at one time necessarily, and this is al
ways desirable point in cooking deli
cate foods. Clean two birds thoroughly,
rinse them in cold water wipe dry, and
split each bird in two lengthwise. Put
in the dish two table spoonfuls of but
ter; when it begins to color put in the
quail, cover and cook five minutes; then
turn each piece and cook five minutes
longer. Now add q gill of highly sea-
soned broth, gill of port or claret, a
heaping tablespoonful of currant jelly,
a Tablespoonful of mushroom catsup, a
teaspoonful of onion vinegar; season
with celery salt and white peper, and
serve.
Another method vouched for by that
master of the chafing dish, Colonel
Thomas p Ochiltree. is for the cooking
or four plump birds. which are to be
cleaned and dried. Four incisions are
made across and through the right and
left sides of the projecting ridge of the
breast bones and in each a thin slice of
truffle is inserted. Put a leaf OF celery
in the body of each bird, and over the
breast of each put thin, wide slice of
larding pork. Roast the birds in a hot
oven twenty minutes and allow them to
cool. When cold cut off the plump pieces
Of the breast and send them to the table
for the chatng dish. Put on the hot
water dish containing half pint of hot
water; on top of it place the chatting
dish proper. Now put in tablespoonful
each of flower and butter. and as the
butter mets work to a paste and add
half pint of warm water a saltspoon-
full of salt, and a dish of cayenne. StiH
five minutes with "a wooden spoon Now
add gradually, in small pieces, two more
| tablespoonfuls of butter, a gill of white
| wine, a tablespoonful at a time. and
finally tablespoonful of lemon juice.
| Put out the flame and in one minute af-
| ter add the yolk of an egg and a tea
spoonful of chopped truffe; work these
| well into the sauce, and add another yolk
| of raw egg. Work it well until smooth
| then warm up the quail breasts in il
and cover, but do not light the lamps, as
| the eggs would curdle if the sauce boiled
In Europe the Christmas season is
| marked by the sending of dainty little
| game pies to friends, such as people here
| exchange flowers as holiday remem-
| brance These pies are packed in fancy
! boxes, ribbon-tied, and the custom is sc
| quaint and pretty that it finds favor with
| Americans who admire the English way
OF doing things. For these pies quails
are especially desirable. and may be
cooked with grouse after the following
method for an English Christmas pie:
Clean and wash the birds; cut the
| quails in half and the grouse in four
pieces. Trim off bits of the inferior por-
! tions-neck, lower ribs, etc, and put
them in a saucepan with the giblets
| Use pint and half of water for six
birds, which number makes a dainty pie
| While this is stewing make a good stiff
paste and line large pudding dish, re-
| serving enough for lid half an inch
| thick. When the livers are tender take
them out, leaving the gravy to stew in
| the covered saucepan. Lard the breasts