This section is from the book "The Table: How To Buy Food, How to Cook It, and How to Serve It", by Alessandro Filippini. Also available from Amazon: The Table: How To Buy Food, How To Cook It And How To Serve It.
Pick six fine, tender, fat quails, singe, draw, and wipe them well; truss them, laying a thin layer of lard on the breasts. Put them in a roasting-pan, spreading a very little butter on top of each quail; then pour half a cupful of water in the pan. Season with a pinch of salt, and let cook in the oven for eighteen minutes. Place on a hot dish six heart-shaped pieces of toast; untruss the quails, and arrange them on top, decorating with a little watercress. Strain the gravy into a sauce-bowl, and serve it separately.
 
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