972. INGREDIENTS.—Larks, egg and bread crumbs, fresh butter.
Mode.—These birds are by many persons esteemed a great delicacy, and may be either roasted or broiled. Pick, gut, and clean them; when they are trussed, brush them over with the yolk of an egg; sprinkle with bread crumbs, and roast them before a quick fire; baste them continually with fresh butter, and keep sprinkling with the bread crumbs until the birds are well covered. Dish them on bread crumbs fried in clarified butter, and garnish the dish with slices of lemon. Broiled larks are also very excellent: they should be cooked over a clear fire, and would take about 10 minutes or 1/4 hour.
Time.—1/4 hour to roast; 10 minutes to broil.
Seasonable.—In full season in November.
Note.—Larks may also be plainly roasted, without covering them with egg and bread crumbs; they should be dished on fried crumbs.
BROILED PIGEONS.
973. INGREDIENTS.—Pigeons, 3 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste.
Mode.—Take care that the pigeons are quite fresh, and carefully pluck, draw, and wash them; split the backs, rub the birds over with butter, season them with pepper and salt, and broil them over a moderate fire for 1/4 hour or 20 minutes. Serve very hot, with either mushroom-sauce or a good gravy. Pigeons may also be plainly boiled, and served with parsley and butter; they should be trussed like boiled fowls, and take from 1/4 hour to 20 minutes to boil.
Time.—To broil a pigeon, from 1/4 hour to 20 minutes; to boil one, the same time.
Average cost, from 6d. to 9d. each.