(2105). Breasts Or Fillets Of Pheasants With Truffles (Ailes Ou Filets De Faisans Aux Truffes)

Raise the breasts from six pheasants; remove the minion fillets, pare the large ones into half hearts after suppressing the skin and lay them in a thickly buttered saute pan and cover over with melted butter; place the minion fillets in a smaller saute pan after removing the thin skin that covers them also the sinews: streak them by cutting six bias incisions on the surface and filling these with half circles of channeled truffles and finish by giving them the shape of a ring; cover over with very thin bards of fat pork or else buttered paper. Make a fumet (No. 397) with the parings and legs, suppressing the rump, and add to it carrots, onions and a garished bunch of parsley (No. 123), moisten with a pint of stock (No. 194a) and two gills of Madeira and let this come to aboil and continue the ebullition process very slowly for one hour and a half, strain through a napkin and separate it into two parts, reduce one of these to the consistency of a light glaze and to the other add as much veloute sauce (No. 415) that is being reduced. Escalop one pound of fine truffles, put them in a bain-marie with a little meat glaze (No. 402). Madeira and as much fine butter, close the receptacle well and keep hot for at least fifteen minutes.

Just when prepared to serve, saute the pheasants' breasts; finish cooking them in a slack oven and when the larger fillets are done drain off the butter, being careful to retain the glaze, detach this with a little Madeira and add some veloute sauce (No. 415) and fresh butter; dress the large fillets in a circle, cover with half of the above sauce and on the large ones lay the smaller ones, brush over with meat glaze (No. 402), pouring the truffles in the center; serve the other half of the sauce separately.

(2106). Salmis of Pheasant A La Lorenzo (Salmis De Faisan A La Lorenzo)

After the pheasant has been roasted the same as for No. 2107, cut it up into six or eight pieces; pare these nicely, removing all the skin, put them into a saucepan with half a pint of red or white wine, two shallots cut in three-eighths inch squares, the peel of a bitter or an ordinary orange and that of a lemon, all cut in small fillets and then blanched; add a pint of espagnole (No. 414) and a few spoonfuls of game glaze (No. 398). Pound the parings, rub through a sieve and add this pulp to the sauce, heat it up without boiling and keep it warm in the same way in a bain-marie. Dish up the pheasants, squeeze the juice of a bitter orange into the sauce and pour it over the dressed birds, garnish around with bread-crumb croutons cut in heart-shapes and fried in butter and small game croquettes prepared as for No. 885.

(2107). Pheasants Adorned With Their Own Plumage - Roasted (Faisans Rotis Garnis De Leur Plumage)

The pheasant's head can be preserved in advance and also keep carefully the wings and tail intact. Pick the pheasants, singe, draw and truss for roasting (No. 179); bard them over and roast either on the spit or in the oven, basting frequently while cooking; when done, take off, untruss and dress on top of trimmed croutons hollowed out in such a way that the pheasants can stand well on them; glaze over and decorate with their own plumage, keeping it in place with metal skewers and letting them appear natural and lifelike; surround with clusters of water-cress. Strain and skim the fat from the dripping-pan stock and dilute it with some clear gravy (No. 404); pour a third of it over the pheasants and the other two-thirds serve in a sauce-boat.