Cut two large questches into halves, and allow one half for each ortolan. Garnish the inside of each with a piece of butter the size of a hazel-nut; set them on a tray, and put them in the oven. When they are almost cooked, on each half of the questches place a moistened ortolan, wrapped in a vine-leaf, and bake them in a very hot oven for four minutes.
Salt them when taking them out of the oven, and sprinkle them, by means of a brush, with verjuice.
[614]
]Serve them as they stand, but the questches are not eaten; they only serve as a support for the ortolan.
[1976—ORTOLANS AU SUC D’ANANAS]
Heat some fresh butter in a flat, earthenware cocotte, and allow one-quarter oz. of it to each ortolan. Roll the previously salted ortolans in this butter, and put them in a very hot oven for three minutes.
When taking them out of the oven, sprinkle them with a few tablespoonfuls of very cold pine-apple juice. Cover the cocotte, and serve immediately.
The cocotte should be just large enough to hold the ortolans.
[1977—ROAST WOODCOCK]
It should be just sufficiently high. Remove its gizzard; truss it, piercing the legs with the beak, after having drawn the eyes; cover it with slices of bacon, and cook it before a good fire for from fifteen to eighteen minutes. Dish on a cushion of fried bread, and serve the swilling-liquor separately, which in this case should be brandy and a few drops of good game gravy.